HOER Rules for Running Staff

• Loco and Traffic Running staff even though classified as Continuous will be required to be on duty more than 8 hours at a stretch in view of special nature of their duties.
• Overall duty at a stretch of Running staff from signing On to Signing off should not normally exceed 12 hours and they should be entitled to claim relief thereafter.
• Running duty at a stretch should not normally exceed 10 hours from departure of train and staff are entitled to claim rest thereafter.
• In operational exigencies running duty may be extended beyond 10 hours within overall limit of 12 hours provided a due notice has been given to staff by Section Controller before completion of 8 hours of running duty.
• If a train doens not reach within overall limit of 12 hours its normal crew chaning station/destination of the train or where a relief has been arranged and such point is approximately 1 hour journey staff may be required to work upto that point.
• In exceptional emergencies like accidents staff may be required to work beyond the limits prescribed above. In such cases Controller should advise the staff in advance.
• Undermentioned period will count as duty under 10 hour rule:
  (i) Engine attendance time as prescribed.
  (ii) Time taken from starting station to crew changing station including intermediate stations.

Periodic Rest to Running Staff

• At least 5 periods of rest of not less than 22 consecutive hours each per month or at least 4 periods of rest of not less than 30 consecutive hours each per month each including a full night shall be given to Running Staff.
• Hours of work for this purpose shall be calculated from ‘signing on’ to ‘signing off’.
• Periodic rest shall be given at headquarters.
• As far as possible it should be given once in 10 days.

Rest after duty

• Based on total duty ‘signing on’ to ‘signing off’ rest after duty shall be given as follows:

• In case of Running staff who are employed on duties which provide for daily rest at headquarters including Shunters, Running staff working in suburban trains, ballast trains, pilots etc. above provision will not apply. These staff will not normally be called for duty before expiry of 10 consecutive hours after completion of previous duty. If however if any such staff is required to work trains out of headquarters and return he will be eligible for rest outstaion and at headquarters.
• Interval between trips shall be considered as duty if it is equal to or less than 1 hour plus time allowed for train or engine attendance before and after trips.

Allowance for Train or engine attendance

• Engine attendance - 45 minutes before departure from engine shed and 15 minutes after arrival at engine shed except for garret and other special type of engines for which the Railway Administrations may decide.
• Train attendance  - 30 minutes before departure and 30 minutes after arrival. In case of goods trains allowance before departure will be 45 minutes.

Night duty

• Performance of continuous night duty beyond 6 nights at a stretch shall be avoided.

Absence from headquarters

• Running staff shall not normally be away from headquarters for more than3 or 4 days at a stretch.