Railway Goods Guard is one of the important posts in this long hierarchy of the railway staff. He is the person technically in charge of the train. The guard is responsible for assuring himself that the station master (directly or indirectly) has authorized the departure of the train from the station. The guard can also require the driver to stop the train, or to operate it under his direction, in special circumstances. For instance, in some cases if the train parts, or breaks down, or if a signal is defective the driver must consult the guard on how to proceed. The guard must usually give the driver written permission to proceed in emergency situations (e.g. working against normal traffic directions or without block protection).
Usually, the guard does not have any duties on the commercial aspects of running the train, in some cases, he may be in charge of selling tickets for passengers boarding at small halt stations with no ticket facilities. The job of a Railway guard demands hard work and honesty along with the courage to handle adverse conditions. For this one should have discipline, patience, responsibility, punctuality, commitment, honesty, courage and above all self-confidence. To discharge his duties efficiently and effectively he requires special training and knowledge.
Railway Guard Eligibility
Educational Qualification
To be eligible to become a Railway Guard in India one should be at least Graduate in any stream.
Diploma in rail transport will be another desirable qualification
Age Limits
From 18 years to 33 years.
How to become a Railway Guard?
To become a Goods Guard one has to follow the given steps:-
Step 1
To become a Railway Guard one has to apply for the competitive exam to be held for the job whenever declared by any of the 17 RRBs of different zones in the Indian Railways.
Step 2
After clearing the RRB exam (consisting of nearly 150 questions on G.K, Aptitude, Mathematics and General English) held for the post of Railway Guard getting the necessary training one is posted on a Railway station or a particular route.
Railways Goods Guard Job Description
He is the person who shoulders the responsibility along with the Driver of taking the train from one destination to another destination safely. In that sense, he is one of the most important employees in the setup. One has to be really dedicated and hardworking to handle this work. The guard is normally at the rear of the train and can operate the emergency brake if ever required. He is also responsible to light the flares and sets up detonators on the tracks if the train stops because of a problem or an accident. The guard exchanges flag or lamp signals with stations masters on departure and when passing through.
Railway Goods Guard Career Prospects
Following are some of the career prospects in this field:
- Brakesman
- Assistant Guard
- Senior Brakesman
- Senior Assistant Guard
- Goods Guard
- Senior Goods Guard
- Passenger Guard
- Senior Passenger Guard
- Mail/Express Guard
Railway Goods Guard Salary
The pay scale of a newly appointed Railway Guard (Goods Guard) is Rs.10,000 to Rs.20,000 per month. However, these pay scales keep on revising from time to time. They also get attractive remuneration and incentives including contributory provident fund, gratuity, medical facilities and free/concessional Railways passage etc. They are also provided with a range of benefits and allowances in addition to housing facilities, medical expenses and outstation allowances, as well as free/concessional Railways, passes for their immediate family members and dependants.
