RRB ALP v/s RRB JE : Which Job is Better ?

Those who aspire for a government job, railway jobs are one of the best career options. Indian railway holds the pride of being the largest railway network all over the world.  The Railway recruiting board (RRB) recruits a number of candidates every year for various posts like junior engineer, senior section engineer, assistant loco pilot etc. In this Article, we are deeply analyzing two prestigious departments of Indian railway ,RRB ALP v/s RRB JE. Along with a fixed salary and a pension after retirement, there are many more attractions for a railway employee which may include free train passes for themselves and their families, accommodation at very minimal prices at railway guesthouses throughout the country, educational and healthcare facilities etc. The other key benefits of being a part of Indian railway are,

1. Indian railway offers maximum number vacancies for the job seekers every year in various departments both technical and non technical.
2. Being divided into various zones like Northern railway, Eastern railway, Western railway and Southern railway, Indian railway facilitates job seekers from all over India to choose the most convenient job location for themselves.
3. The selection procedure is very transparent and honest. 
4. Railway of India offers all the benefits of a government job.
5. Railway offers a safe and secure future during and post service period.
6. In case of death during service, railway offers job to the family member of the employee on compensatory grounds.

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These are just a few key benefits of railway jobs.

 Many of you must have attended the exams of assistant loco pilot (RRB ALP) and Junior engineer (RRB JE) very recently. In this article we are deeply analyzing these two prestigious departments of Indian railway. 

RRB ALP v/s RRB JE

RRB Assistant Loco Pilot (RRB ALP)

The role of an assistant loco pilot (ALP) is very crucial in railways. He helps the train driver in running operations. His responsibilities include,

• Sending signals
• Ensuring proper running of the loco
• Assisting seniors for minor repairing during running etc.

Assistant loco pilot gets promotion as the senior assistant loco pilot and then loco pilot. After certain years of experience as loco pilot, he is promoted to power controller, crew controller and loco fireman.

Educational qualification.

• A qualified matriculation or equivalent qualification in any stream from a recognized board or university.
• Should have a course completion certification for ITI approves by NCVT or SCVT or apprenticeship in the respective trade from a recognized university or institution

Age requirement

The minimum age limit is 18 years and the maximum age limit is 30 years. The reserved category candidates get relaxation in upper age limit according to the rules laid down by the government.

Recruitment Process

The recruitment process is based on a written examination which is followed by an aptitude test and document verification. The syllabus of the written examination covers the following topics.

• General awareness
• Arithmetic ability
• Technical ability
• Reasoning
• General intelligence
• General science

Salary and other perks

Other major allowances include,

• DA on total pay above plus the running allowance
• Transport allowance
• Running allowance
• House rent allowance(if not provided with quarters)

This is all about RRB ALP. Now let’s move on to another major job category of Indian railway,  Junior engineer.

RRB Junior Engineer (RRB JE)

In India, railways have the highest number of government jobs for engineers. Government of India provides luxurious houses and various other benefits for railway engineers. There are different categories under the post of Junior engineer such as, junior engineer, depot material superintendent, chemical and metallurgical assistant etc. Candidates are appointed to these positions in different departments like works ,bridge, drawing and design, estimator etc. 

There are five specializations under railway junior engineer exam.

1. Civil engineering
2. Electrical engineering
3. Electronics and telecommunication engineering
4. Mechanical engineering
5. Information technology engineering

Job Responsibilities

RRB JE (civil)

• Works as a supervisor in the civil engineering department.
• Responsible for the maintenance and construction of railway building including staff quarters, water supply to these buildings, encroachment of railway land etc.
• Holds the charge of periodical and accounting verification of stores and tools
• He has to ensure that the railway track is maintained in a better way of allowing safe, smooth and fast movement of trains.
• Maintenance of the bridge
• Prepare the estimation drawing of work need to put for full platform readiness

RRB JE (Electrical)

• Maintenance of electric locomotive, equipment overhead and traction, distribution, lighting and air conditioning of the train, power supply, safety system etc.
• Monitoring and maintaining the valuable equipment like overhead, substations which are indulged in the shifting of rolling stock.
• Produce and Safeguarding the main line EMUs ,and electric locomotives

RRB JE (Electronics)

• Oversees the signaling installation of the stations 
• finalizing the proposal for work budget, revenue, periodic review.

RRB JE (Mechanical)

• Check the conditions of the components of goods wagons and passengers coaches 
• Makes a defect-free rolling stock i.e. diesel 

RRB JE (Information technology)

• Updates the content  on the websites of the railway on a daily basis.
• Make available the IT hardware/software/office equipment like a photocopier, fax machines etc.

Career growth

The career growth hierarchy of junior engineers in Indian railway is as follows.

• Junior engineer
• Senior engineer
• Assistant divisional engineer
• Divisional engineer
• Senior divisional engineer

Educational Qualification

The educational qualification requirement will be a diploma or bachelor of science in engineering and the branch required will differ according to the department for which the candidates are recruited.

Pay scale

The grade pay of Rs.4200 is offered to this position and candidates appointed for this position will come under the pay-band of Rs.9300-34800.

Age requirement

Candidates must be within the age group of 18-33 years Upper age limit relaxation of three years and five years respectively is applicable for OBC and SC/ST candidates.

Which job is better in railway; RRB ALP or RRB JE.?

Railway junior engineer is a supervisory grade. A junior engineer has to manage a particular area or section and also his staff. His starting pay scale is better than assistant loco pilot. He is the responsible person for his section and connect with the higher officers. He can’t avoid or escape from the responsibility of his team’s work.

On the other hand, for an assistant loco pilot, ensuring safety is the primary responsibility. He will have to work with a running train. He has a better payment than a supervisor as he receives running allowance. Duty time will be much more long for him and as it is the nature of his duty, he can’t blame anybody for that.

Hope this article has helped you to know about the two most respectable railway jobs .We wish all the success for the railway job aspirants.