# Railways to hire 5,664 staff, scrap 10,939 posts 2026-10-07T19:37:13+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Ministry of Railways has received approval from the Ministry of Finance to fill 5,664 posts across operational and supervisory categories, even as plans proceed to abolish or surrender 10,939 lower-level posts. The newly sanctioned positions include Junior Engineers, Senior Section Engineers, Station Masters, and Depot Material Superintendents, aimed at strengthening technical and passenger-service functions. The categories identified for abolition include Junior Stenographers, Running Room Cooks, Drivers, and Helpers in various departments. Recruitment will be in two phases: the first will fill 2,832 of the new posts along with 21,978 existing vacancies, the second phase will begin after 80% of those vacancies are filled. Station master posts will be notified separately with selection via computer-based test for graduates. M. Raghavaiah, general secretary of SCRES-South Central Rail Employees Sangh, expressed concern that no additional posts have been created for maintaining new railway assets over the past decade. He said the growing gap between infrastructure expansion and staff strength is placing existing employees under stress and has been repeatedly brought to the Railway Board's notice. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Railways is simultaneously creating technical and supervisory positions while cutting nearly twice as many lower-level posts, a net reduction of over 5,000. The union's concern points to a growing strain on existing staff as the network expands faster than workforce numbers. Whether the new roles in engineering and station management can offset the stress from abolished support posts remains an open question. The second phase of recruitment, triggered only after 80% of current vacancies are filled, gives no fixed timeline, leaving staff and unions without clarity on when relief will arrive. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Leads with official notification figures, then adds union criticism without endorsing either side. This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: M. Raghavaiah, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Railways, Railway Board Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/railways-to-hire-5664-staff-scrap-10939-posts/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/railways-to-hire-5664-staff-scrap-10939-posts/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/