Training & Competency Certificates — Traction Distribution Notes

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Electric traction is a specialised field — efficient operation and maintenance is only possible if staff have intimate knowledge of construction, adjustment, and operation, plus thorough knowledge of special rules and procedures for safety. No one is entrusted with maintenance/operation responsibility without going through the specific training laid out here.

Initial Training — Real Durations

Category	Training Period
Directly recruited supervisor — OHE	12 months
Directly recruited supervisor — PSI	12 months
Directly recruited supervisor — Remote Control	12 months
TPCs / ATPCs (Traction Power Controllers)	18 months
Skilled artisans — direct recruits	60 weeks
Skilled artisans — absorbed from Diesel/Steam/Electric General Services	30 weeks

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Exam Focus — TPCs Get the Longest Initial Training

Among directly-recruited supervisory categories, TPCs/ATPCs get 18 months — 6 months longer than OHE, PSI, or Remote Control supervisors (12 months each). This reflects the TPC role's broader, more consequential decision-making responsibility (as covered in the Breakdown Management chapter — deciding whether to block only electric traffic, permit restricted-speed coasting, etc.).

The Real Competency Certificate Table (TR-1 to TR-9)

Staff Designation	Certificate	Issued By
OHE — Khalasi	TR-1	SSE/JE, after oral test
OHE — Lineman	TR-2	AEE(TrD), after oral test
OHE — Supervisor	TR-3	DEE(TrD), after written & oral test
OHE — Inspection Car Driver	TR-4	DEE(TrD), after written & oral test
PSI — Khalasi	TR-1	SSE/JE, after oral test
PSI — Skilled staff	TR-5	AEE(TrD), after oral test
PSI — Supervisor	TR-6	DEE(TrD), after written & oral test
PSI — Artisans/Supervisors for Protective Relays & Instruments	TR-7	AEE/DEE(TrD), after written, oral & practical test
RCE — Skilled Staff	TR-8	AEE(TrD)
RCE — Supervisor	TR-9	DEE(TrD), after written & oral test

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Exam Focus — TR-1 Is Shared, and TR-7 Is the Hardest to Get

Notice that TR-1 is the ONLY certificate shared across two sections — both OHE and PSI Khalasis get TR-1, issued the same way (SSE/JE, oral test only). At the other extreme, TR-7 (Protective Relays & Instruments artisans/supervisors) is the only certificate requiring a full THREE-part test — written, oral, AND practical — reflecting the precision required for relay/instrument work compared to more general OHE/PSI roles.

OHE Inspection Car Driver — The Real 5-Step Qualification

General & Subsidiary Rules training at the Zonal Training School, followed by a written, oral, and practical test.
An oral/practical test by SSE(OHE) confirming familiarity with the Inspection Car's engine, running gear mechanism, and maintenance duties.
One month of training to learn the road in the section, ending with a signed declaration of full road familiarity.
2 months of practical training actually driving the Inspection Car under a qualified Car Driver's supervision, ending with a driving test taken by DEE(TrD).
Prescribed medical examination.

Refresher Courses — Mandatory Categories

Refresher courses are mandatory for staff whose work involves 'safety of train operation or having daily contact with the public.' Explicitly listed: Traction Power Controllers, Assistant Traction Power Controllers, Supervisors of OHE, OHE Inspection Car Drivers, and Linesmen authorised to take power blocks and issue Permits to Work — this last category directly connects to the Permit-to-Work procedure covered in the Safety Rules chapter.