Bengaluru: The South Western Railway (SWR) has issued an order permitting candidates to take the Assistant Loco Pilot Promotion Examination in Kannada, according to Union Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna.

Announcing the decision on his ‘X’ account, Somanna stated, “I am pleased to inform you that South Western Railway will hold the Assistant Loco Pilot Promotion Exam in Kannada, in accordance with my directives. This initiative aims to enhance accessibility for our talented workforce.”

The order, dated Aug. 6, 2024, and signed by S. Purandara Naik, Deputy Chief Personnel Officer/HQ, on behalf of the Principal Chief Personnel Officer, declared that the question paper for the Centralised Based Test for the post of Assistant Loco Pilot (Promotional Quota) in Level-2 of the VII CPC will be available in Kannada, English and Hindi.

Somanna expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for their support.

He also mentioned that Indian Railways plans to appoint 18,799 Assistant Loco Pilots over the next 6-8 months to enhance safety measures. A prior notification for the appointment of 5,696 loco pilots has been revised to this increased number.

The Railway Board has instructed various Railway Zones across the country to commence the appointment process immediately, as a minimum of six months is required to fill                                        these positions.

The decision to appoint more loco pilots follows a recent train collision in West Bengal, where two trains collided,  resulting in the deaths of 10 passengers and damaging four bogies. The order is seen as a significant boost for Kannadigas working in Railways, enabling them to reach higher positions.