Indian railways decides to redesignate post of ‘guard’ as ‘train manager’

“Indian Railways has decided to redesignate the post of “Guard” as “Train Manager” with immediate effect.

The Indian Railways on Friday announced to re-designate the post of ‘guard’ as ‘train manager’. Senior officials in the railway ministry said the issue was being demanded for quite some time.

Senior railway officials said the issue to redesignate the post of ‘guard’ as ‘train manager was being demanded for quite some time. (Archive)

“Indian Railways has decided to redesignate the post of “Guard” as “Train Manager” with immediate effect. The revised designation is more in consonance with their existing duties & responsibilities and will improve the motivation level of Guards now Train Manager,” the railways ministry tweeted on Friday.

“The demand was that the existing designation train guard has become outdated. It was also said that in today’s society, common man thought that he/she may be a guard in some private firm,” said one of the officials cited above.

“In this connection, it would not be out of context to mention that, in the general and subsidiary rules (GSR), a train guard is virtually a train in-charge of the respective train,” the official added.

Some experts, however, said this was one of the ways towards corporatisation. “A passenger is not going to be affected by this designation change in anyway. It is not difficult to understand that the railways is inching towards corporatisation,” said an industry expert, who did not wish to be named.

According to the revised designation document, dated January 13, assistant guard will now be ‘assistant passenger train manager’, goods guard will be ‘goods train manager’, a senior passengers’ guard will be ‘senior passenger train manager’ and mail or express train guard will be mail/express train manager.