There are 68 railway divisions in Indian Railways; the highest officer of each division is the DRM. This is how DRMs are appointed and how you can become a Railway DRM.
The full form of DRM is Divisional Railway Manager. It is a long-term executive career trajectory. It requires entry into the right railway service, consistent high performance, and progressive promotions. You cannot become a DRM in the Indian Railway Department directly.
Steps to become a Railway DRM Officer:
To become a DRM, you must follow the steps:
Educational qualification: To become the DRM, you must carry a bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or any discipline. You have to crack UPSC (Civil Service or Engineering Service) to enter the Indian Railways as a Group A officer.
You have to serve your duty for at least 15 years in the Railways or Railway PSUs.
Eligibility Criteria:
To become a Railway DRM, a candidate must be bellow 52-year-old. He will be a Group A officer and give services in IRSE, IRTS, IRSME, IRSEE, IRSSE, IRAS, IRSS, or IRPS up to 15 to 25 years.
Selection process:
Selection is based on merit list, it is requiring a high percentage of ‘Outstanding’ ratings in Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APAR) and specific clearances, after which the Railway Board selects them.
After qualifying for the exam, you need to join one of the 8 Group A services of Indian Railways
• IRTS (Indian Railway Traffic Service)
• IRAS (Individual Retirement Accounts)
• IRSME (Indian Railways of Mechanical Service)
• IRSEE (Indian Railways Service of Electrical Engineering)
• IRSSE (Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers)
• IRPS (Indian Railway Personnel Service)
Performance:
The officer must earn at list 60% In Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APARs).
Railway DRM In-Hand Salary Per Month:
A senior administrative officer is known as a Divisional Railway Manager. In pay level 14 of the 7th CPC, the basic salary of a DRM officer is between ₹1,44,200 and ₹2,18,200 per month.
Key Allowances for DRMs (7th CPC):
As a government employee, you have to earn benefits, including
- Dearness Allowance (DA)
- House Rent Allowance (HRA)
- Special Railway Allowance
- Provide an official car or Transport
- Children Education
Work of a DRM:
The work of a DRM is to manage allover railway departments. They maintain safety protocols, to observe train movement, and to maintain track, coach, engine, etc. A DRM will manage personal finances. If there’s an accident, a natural disaster, or any big problem happening, then the DRM has to take quick action and steps up to organise rescue efforts, help people out, and get the trains back on track ASAP.
Recent DRM appointments 2025:
Khurdha Road (Odisha): Alok Tripathy, who will take charge in July 2025 in East Coast Railway, is an IIT Kanpur B.Tech graduate. And he will serve roles as Executive Director and Freight Marketing at the Railway Board. He will gain two decades of experience.
Ahmedabad: Ved Prakash has 25 years of work experience in IRTS. He is in the 1998 batch. His previous role was as an Officer in Special Duty to Aswini Vaisnaw. He took charge as a DRM on July 26, 2025, of the Ahmedabad division under Western Railway.
Ambala: Shri Vinod Bhatia took charge as a DRM of Ambala Northern Railway on January 3, 2025. He is in the IRTS batch of 1997.
