Indian Railway Traffic Service
Encyclopedia
The Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) is an organized Group 'A' service (cadre) of the Government of India
. The officers of this service are responsible for managing the Transportation - Operations and Commercial wings - of the Indian Railways
. As of 1 July 2004, the sanctioned strength of IRTS was 1122. The sanctioned strength of IRTS has decreased since cadre restructuring was undertaken in January–February 2006. At present the cadre strength of IRTS is around 830.
After selection, IRTS probationers undergo general foundation training at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration
, Mussourie. Following that they go for the Railway Foundation Course at Railway Staff College
, Baroda. Further specialized training for the probationers is imparted at the Indian Railway Institute of Transportation Management
(IRITM) at Lucknow. IRITM also undertakes courses for middle- and senior-level officers.
The role of an IRTS officer in the operating department is that of ensuring smooth and fast transportation of freight and passengers. He or she ensures optimum utilization of assets maximizing output with least inputs. This is achieved by coordinating with the service departments looking after various assets of railways like track, wagons, engines, signals, etc. He/she then combines the outputs of the various departments maintaining the assets - rolling stock and fixed infrastructure to produce a service output - passenger or freight.
In the commercial department, an IRTS officer is connected with sales, pricing (including discounts) of passenger and freight traffic. The information technology requirement of passenger ticketing is also managed by an IRTS officer in the zonal headquarters in association with the Centre for Railway Information Systems
.
The role changes depending on where an officer is placed in the organization - in the division (operational level), the zone (tactical level), or the railway board (strategic level).
At the zonal level, the operating a commercial departments are headed by IRTS officers - Chief Operations Manager(COM) and Chief Commercial Manager(CCM). They are of the rank of additional-secretary/joint-secretary to the government of India. COM is normally assisted by a team of joint-secretary rank officers, viz., Chief Freight Transportation Manager(CFTM), Chief Passenger Transportation Manager(CPTM) and Chief Traffic Planning Manager(CPTM). Similarly, CCM is assisted by Chief Commercial Manager (Freight Marketing), Chief Commercial Manager (Passenger Marketing), Chief Commercial Manager (Passenger Services) and Chief Claims Officer. They are in turn assisted by Deputy-secretary/Director grade officers -Dy COM, Dy CCM, Dy CCO.
At the divisional level, the operating and commercial departments are headed by IRTS officers - Senior Divisional Operations Manager (Sr. DOM) and Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr. DCM). In a large division, Sr. DOM/Sr. DCM would be supervising over 2000 employees. They are linchpins interacting with customers on a day to day basis and zonal headquarters. Sr. DOM/Sr. DCM are cadre posts in the deputy-secretary/ director grade of IRTS. Each Sr. DOM/Sr. DCM is assisted by DOM/DCM/Assistant Operations Manager(AOM)/Assistant Commercial Manager(ACM)of the rank of under-secretary. An IRTS direct recruit officer's first posting would be as an AOM or ACM in the division.
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. The officers of this service are responsible for managing the Transportation - Operations and Commercial wings - of the Indian Railways
Indian Railways
Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....
Recruitment & Training
The direct recruitment to the cadre is done through the Civil Services ExaminationCivil Services Examination
The Civil Services Examination is a nationwide competitive examination in India conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment to the various Civil Services of the Government of India, including Indian Administrative Service , Indian Foreign Service , Indian Police Service and...
. As of 1 July 2004, the sanctioned strength of IRTS was 1122. The sanctioned strength of IRTS has decreased since cadre restructuring was undertaken in January–February 2006. At present the cadre strength of IRTS is around 830.
After selection, IRTS probationers undergo general foundation training at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration
Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration
The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration is a research and training institute on public policy and public administration in India...
, Mussourie. Following that they go for the Railway Foundation Course at Railway Staff College
Railway Staff College
The Railway Staff College is the management training institute for the officers of the Indian Railways. The college trains not only newly appointed officers but also senior managers and executives...
, Baroda. Further specialized training for the probationers is imparted at the Indian Railway Institute of Transportation Management
Indian Railway Institute of Transportation Management
Indian Railway Institute of Transportation Management is a technical institute run by the Indian Railways. It was set up in 2003 to impart training to probationary officers of the Indian Railway Traffic Service , and to in-service railway officials in the areas of Supply Chain Management ,...
(IRITM) at Lucknow. IRITM also undertakes courses for middle- and senior-level officers.
Role and Function
Indian Railway Traffic Officer is the public interface of railways. There are two main streams of Traffic Department, operations and commercial, where these officers are posted.The role of an IRTS officer in the operating department is that of ensuring smooth and fast transportation of freight and passengers. He or she ensures optimum utilization of assets maximizing output with least inputs. This is achieved by coordinating with the service departments looking after various assets of railways like track, wagons, engines, signals, etc. He/she then combines the outputs of the various departments maintaining the assets - rolling stock and fixed infrastructure to produce a service output - passenger or freight.
In the commercial department, an IRTS officer is connected with sales, pricing (including discounts) of passenger and freight traffic. The information technology requirement of passenger ticketing is also managed by an IRTS officer in the zonal headquarters in association with the Centre for Railway Information Systems
Centre for Railway Information Systems
The Centre for Railway Information Systems located in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, was established as a registered society in 1986 by the Ministry of Railways of India, as an umbrella organization for all computer activities on Indian Railways...
.
The role changes depending on where an officer is placed in the organization - in the division (operational level), the zone (tactical level), or the railway board (strategic level).
Organisation
At the Railway Board level, the traffic department is headed by Member(Traffic), who is a secretary level officer. He is assisted by Additional Members/ Advisors who are of the rank of additional secretary to the Government of India. At present, there is an additional member/advisor, each for the commercial, traffic, safety, computerization and information systems, infrastructure, tourism and catering wings of the traffic department. Within each wing, there are directorates which are headed by an Executive Director, a joint-secretary rank officer. Some of the directorates are traffic, commercial(rates), planning, coaching, passenger marketing, statistics and economics (under Financial commissioner), freight marketing, public grievances, computerization and information systems, tourism and catering.At the zonal level, the operating a commercial departments are headed by IRTS officers - Chief Operations Manager(COM) and Chief Commercial Manager(CCM). They are of the rank of additional-secretary/joint-secretary to the government of India. COM is normally assisted by a team of joint-secretary rank officers, viz., Chief Freight Transportation Manager(CFTM), Chief Passenger Transportation Manager(CPTM) and Chief Traffic Planning Manager(CPTM). Similarly, CCM is assisted by Chief Commercial Manager (Freight Marketing), Chief Commercial Manager (Passenger Marketing), Chief Commercial Manager (Passenger Services) and Chief Claims Officer. They are in turn assisted by Deputy-secretary/Director grade officers -Dy COM, Dy CCM, Dy CCO.
At the divisional level, the operating and commercial departments are headed by IRTS officers - Senior Divisional Operations Manager (Sr. DOM) and Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr. DCM). In a large division, Sr. DOM/Sr. DCM would be supervising over 2000 employees. They are linchpins interacting with customers on a day to day basis and zonal headquarters. Sr. DOM/Sr. DCM are cadre posts in the deputy-secretary/ director grade of IRTS. Each Sr. DOM/Sr. DCM is assisted by DOM/DCM/Assistant Operations Manager(AOM)/Assistant Commercial Manager(ACM)of the rank of under-secretary. An IRTS direct recruit officer's first posting would be as an AOM or ACM in the division.
See also
- Centralised Training Institutes of the Indian RailwaysCentralised Training Institutes of the Indian RailwaysThe Indian Railways is the largest civilian employer in the world at approximately 1.6 million employees. 1200 officers form the line and staff management organisation...
- Indian Railway Organisational StructureIndian Railway organisational structureThe Indian Railways is organised broadly by functional groups of Indian Railway Service. This is traditionally how the co-operation is organised. The Indian Railways perhaps has been less adventurous in changing the structure; it has largely kept up what it got as a legacy since the British...