Yardstick: RBE No.170/2022 – Non-gazetted Signaling Staff
No.E(MPP)2021/1/16, dated 28.12.2022
Sub: Norms/ yardstick for Non-Gazetted Group ‘C’ Signaling staff.
Railway Board has approved the norms/ yardstick for non-gazetted group ‘C’ signaling staff for implementation on the Railways. This yardstick is applicable on all routes, type of signaling, suburban/ Non-suburban and station/ Block section as detailed in Annexure-A & B.
1.0 Basic maintenance requirement: Staff has been provided for each station depending upon number of routes of the station and on which route station is located. Staff will be responsible for maintenance and keeping all signaling gears in good fettle as per frequency given in Appendix-I of Signaling Engineering Manual (SEM), 2021. Detail of staff which has to provided on each station depending upon route is given as Annexure-A & B.
2.0 Implementation of Yardstick:
(i) The yardsticks for Signal Department have been revised and enclosed as Annexure-A & B. The new norms shall be applicable as per maximum strength not exceeding 45,146 as on 01.01.2023 for Signal department.
(ii) The requirement of manpower for the department should be based on revised yardsticks. However, while filling up the vacancies, net manpower requirement will be taken as ‘0.79X’, where the revised yardsticks will be ‘X’. The balance manpower will be met by outsourcing of non-critical activities as mentioned in Annexure-B.
(ii) The manpower strength for the existing assets should be reviewed, based on the revised yardsticks keeping the yardsticks as X, and excess posts beyond that, may be surrendered or redistributed, wherever feasible, as provided for vide Board’s letter dated 19.04.2022 (RBE No.54/2022).
3.0 Each Zone will be provided the sanctioned strength based on the above yardsticks. Within the Zone, manpower can be redistributed as per Board’s letter dated 19.04.2022 (RBE No.54/2022).
4.0 This supersedes all earlier instructions on the yardsticks for above activities, issued in past.
5.0 This issues with the concurrence of Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.
6.0 Please acknowledge receipt.
Annexure-A
1.0 A & B Route and C Route with number of trains between 80 to 120 on each line:
| Routes < 100 (Per Station) | 100 < Effective routes < 200 (Per Station) | 200 < Effective routes < 400 (Per Station) | For every additional upto 200 effective routes |
| 1 set + 1/3 JE/ SSE | (1 JE/ SSE + 1 Helper + 1 Set) round the clock in 8 hour shift. | (1 JE/ SSE + 1 Helper + 1 Set) round the clock in 8 hour shift + 1 JE/ SSE + 1 KH + 1 Set in General shift for Outdoor | Additional 1 JE/ SSE + 1 Helper + 1 Set |
1.1 C Route with number of trains above 120 on each line:
| Routes < 100 (Per Station) | 100 < Effective routes < 200 (Per Station) | 200 < Effective routes < 400 (Per Station) | For every additional upto 200 effective routes |
| 1 set round the clock in 8 Hour Shift + 1/3 JE/ SSE round the clock in 8 Hour Shift | (1 JE/ SSE + 1 Helper + 1 Set) round the clock in 8 hour shift. | (1 JE/ SSE + 1 Helper + 1 Set) round the clock in 8 hour shift + 1 JE/ SSE + 1 KH + 1 Set in General shift for Outdoor | Additional 1 JE/ SSE + 1 KH + 1 Set |
1.2 D Special, D & E Spl. And C Route with number of trains between 40 to 80 om each line:
| Routes < 100 (Per Station) | 100 < Effective routes < 200 (Per Station) | 200 < Effective routes < 400 (Per Station) | For every additional upto 200 effective routes |
| 1/2 set + 1/4 JE/ SSE | (1 JE/ SSE + 1 Helper + 1 Set) round the clock in 8 hour shift. | (1 JE/ SSE + 1 Helper + 1 Set) round the clock in 8 hour shift | Additional 1 JE/ SSE + 1 Helper + 1 Set |
1.3 E and C Route with number of trains up to 40 on each line:
| Routes < 100 (Per Station) | 100 < Effective routes < 200 (Per Station) | 200 < Effective routes < 400 (Per Station) | For every additional up to 200 effective routes |
| 1/2 set + 1/5 JE/ SSE | (1 JE/ SSE + 1 Helper + 1 Set) round the clock in 8 hour shift. | (1 JE/ SSE + 1 Helper + 1 Set) round the clock in 8 hour shift | Additional 1 JE/ SSE + 1 Helper + 1 Set |
1.4 Night Failure Gang for Stations not provided with round the clock in 8 Hour Shift staff:
| A & B Route and C Route with no. of trains between 80 to 120 on each line | D Special, D & E – Spl. And C Route with no. of trains between 40 to 80 on each line | E and C Route with no. of trains up to 40 on each line |
| 1 set for 3 Stations not provided with round the clock in 8 hour Shift staff. | 1 set for 5 Stations not provided with round the clock in 8 hour shift staff. | 1 set for 5 Sations not provided with round the clock in 8 hour shift staff. |
(Note: One set mentioned in Annexure-A consist of 2 Signal Technician and 01 Helper)
1.5 At major yards which have extensive shunting operations more than 100 in 24 hrs cause extra burden as any incidence involving shunting leads to serious disruption to train operations. Hence, additional multiplication factor to calculate effective no of routes at station above 100 shunting movements will be as under:
| Shunting movement < 100 in 24 hrs. | Shunting movement > 100 and < 500 in 24 hrs. | Shunting movement > 500 and < 1000 in 24 hrs. | Shifting movement > 1000 in 24 hrs. |
| SMF-1 | SMF-1.25 | SMF-1.5 | SMF-1.75 |
| Effective route = No. of routes x SMF (Shunting Multiplying factor | Effective route = No. of routes x SMF (Shunting Multiplying factor | Effective route = No. of routes x SMF (Shunting Multiplying factor | Effective route = No. of routes x SMF (Shunting Multiplying factor |
| SMF – Shunting Multiplying factor |
1.6 In order to assess the workload of Maintenance of Automatic signaling sections and outside limit interlocked LC gates/ intermediate Block signal, the following staff provision should be made:
(a) Automatic signaling 20-25 Track km to be treated as equivalent to one Station below 100 routes.
(b) 6 Level crossing Gates/ IBH to be treated as equivalent to one Station below 100 routes.
1.7 SSE in charge: SSE in charges for different routes will be as under:
| A & B Route and C Route with no. of trains between 80 to 120 on each line | C Route above 120 trains on each line | D Special, D & E – Spl. and C Route with no. of trains between 40 to 80 on each line | E & C Route with no. of trains upto 40 on each line |
| Max. 6 stations | Max. 6 stations | Max. 8 stations | Max. 12 stations |
2.0 In addition to basic maintenance requirement the following additional staff will be provided:
2.1 Train protection Systems-Infrastructure components: Track magnet, LIUs, Balises etc: One set of Train protection System Repair gang for 400 Route Km and two for more than 400 RKm will be provided under Sr.DSTE. One Train protection system gang will consist of 1 SSE/ In-charge, 2 JE/ SSE, 6 Signal Technicians and 8 Helpers.
2.2 Heavy Repair gang: One heavy repair gang will be provided with each SSE In-charge. One heavy repair gang will consist of 1 JE/ SSE, 2 Signal Technicians, 1 Blacksmith and 6 Helpers.
3.0 Number of infrastructural works: There are various projects in progress for which open line maintenance staff is required to be deployed e.g. shifting of utilities for DFCCIL, RVNL works. Additional staff is required to be kept under Sr.DSTE which can be moved wherever such activities are in progress. For this a team of 2 SSE/ JEs, 07 Technicians and 09 Helpers is required to be kept in each division.
4.0 Track Machines: Separate S&T staff is required for Track Machine and related Engineering works so that routine schedule maintenance is not hampered. 02 JE, 08 Tech and 08 Helper division are to be provided under Sr.DSTE. At present 962 Engineering Machines are working over Indian Railways. As no. of machines increases, proportionately staff will increase.
5.0 SSE/ In-charge for Stores: One SSE in-charge for Signal Store for 400 Route km and 2 for More than 400 Route km should be provided under Sr.DSTE. One SSE/ Store team will consist of 1 Sig Technician, 1 Store Clerk and 8 Helpers.
6.0 Signal Fault Control Organization: To have effective mechanism for controlling, monitoring and guiding Signal Maintenance as well as monitoring of Health of Signaling gears & failure analysis through Data logger, signal control office in all Division and at Zonal Headquarter, the staff should be provided as under:
At HQ – 1 SSE + 1 Helper round the clock in 8-hour shift
At Division – 1 SSE + 1 JE + 1 Helper round the clock in 8-hour shift.
7.0 Technical Assistance to Divisional & HQ officers: To assist Divisional officer & HQ officer in matters pertaining Signal Plans, design & drawing, policy safety instructions, CRS observation and store indents etc. the following staff is to be provided:
At HQ – 2 SSE/ Technical + 1 SSE/ Planning + 1 SSE/ Stores
At Division – 1 SSE/ Technical, 1 SSE/ Stores for Divisions upto 400 Route KM and for Divisions > 400 Route km, 2 SSE/ Technical + 1 SSE/ Stores.
Annexure-B
Outsourcing of Signaling works in Non-safety critical areas
There are many ad-hoc activities which do not constitute day to day maintenance activities but none the less are vital for functioning of Signaling system. These works should be out sourced in non-safely critical areas. The list of work is given below. However, if any other work which is of non-safety critical nature and not included in given list may be included in the list by Zonal Railways with the approval of PCSTEs.
(a) Signaling activities in connection with Engineering works such as renewal of track, points & crossings and other track machine works including removal/ refitting of axle counters, ground connection of point machines etc.
(b) Track circuit works like bonding, provision of TLJB, track leads etc.
(c) Cleaning of glued joints.
(d) Jointing of cables for temporary or permanent restoration of cables.
(e) Trenching, laying and Termination of Signaling cables.
(f) Foundations and erection of signals, location boxes and other concreting works for repairs and protection of cables and related gears.
(g) Repair & replacement of booms of LC gates, belts of gates motors, switches etc.
(h) AMC/ARC of equipments wherever required and justified.
(i) Repairs and replacements of fire alarms and fire extinguishers sensors or consumables.
(j) Painting and lettering of signaling gears including epoxy and temperature and humidity controlled painting.
(k) Oiling and greasing of points, machines, LC gates gears etc.
(l) Loading, unloading, handling and transportation of material.
(m) Works of Artisan staff such as Carpenter, Blacksmith, Fitter and masonry repair works Etc.
(n) Data analyst for manning of test room and generation of report of DLMC, TCAS etc. for other diagnostic and troubleshooting activities.
For security of stores of SSE/Sig. CCTV and Private Guards can be deployed.
Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.170/2022
Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.