Apr 27 (BNP): The East Coast Railway (ECoR) will rationalise 1,239 posts in the 2026–27 financial year as part of a nationwide workforce optimisation programme initiated by the Railway Board, according to an official directive issued on April 24.
The exercise is part of a broader restructuring plan across Indian Railways aimed at improving manpower efficiency and aligning staffing patterns with operational requirements. Across the system, about 29,608 posts have been identified for rationalisation out of a total sanctioned workforce of nearly 14.8 lakh employees.
For ECoR, the identified rationalisation accounts for around 2% of its sanctioned strength of 61,956 employees as of April 1, 2026. The process will include redistribution of surplus staff and surrender of select posts, based on operational needs.
The Railway Board has instructed all zones to carry out the exercise through the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) platform to ensure transparency, digital tracking, and standardised implementation.
An official communication from the Board has also designated manpower optimisation as a key performance indicator for zonal railways in the coming financial year.
ECoR, a key freight corridor handling coal, minerals, and port-linked cargo from Odisha and neighbouring regions, plays a critical role in supporting India’s logistics and industrial supply chain.
The rationalisation initiative comes alongside large-scale rail expansion and infrastructure upgrades, including projects worth over ₹10,000 crore, aimed at improving capacity, efficiency, and network performance across the region.
