A gangman carries a fish bolt spanner to tighten nuts and bolts, a tricolour lamp to alert locomotive drivers of any potential danger on the tracks and a rod weighing two kg to fix the lamp, if needed. People like him brave the vagaries of weather, snakes and wild animals, especially in remote areas, and filth on tracks to correct defects or to warn drivers of danger.

Trackmen used to be known as gangmen till the Railway Union changed it because of the negative connotations attached to the word gang. They work all day be it under the scorching sun or in numbing cold to ensure that trains run smoothly,getting paid Rs 15,000-18,000 a month.

    Sandeeprai
    The job of trackmen is statistically far more dangerous than that of security forces in some of Indias most violent combat zones. An average 300 railwaymen have been killed in accidents every year over the past four-five years. Most were run over by trains as they patrolled the tracks.

      Sarvesh
      A gangman carries a fish bolt spanner to tighten nuts and bolts, a tricolor lamp to alert locomotive drivers of any potential danger on the tracks, and a rod weighing two kg to fix the lamp if needed.

        Reshamgupta
        A gangman is equipped with a fish bolt spanner for tightening nuts and bolts, a tricolour lamp to warn locomotive drivers of any possible hazard on the tracks, and a two-kilogram rod to repair the lamp if necessary.