Engine shunter
The locomotive shunter (abbr .: Lrf ) is a name for a train driver or a railroad vehicle driver of locomotives with radio remote control in shunting service.
The Lokrangierführer can operate inside and outside the cab, the locomotive and is able shunting alone without shunter perform. When maneuvering with radio remote control, special safety regulations must be observed. The designation was necessary at the time when shunting managers were active and expressed the "double function" of train driver and shunting manager. With the abolition of the shunting ladder and the creation of shunting attendants, the division of tasks was clear because, in contrast to the shunting ladder, the shunting attendant works on behalf of the driver. This designation has therefore been omitted in the Deutsche Bahn regulations for rail operations (Directive 408) .
A shunting engine driver normally has a class B (3) rail vehicle driver's license and has therefore undergone training comparable to that of a mainline engine driver . While the main activity of the mainline engine driver is the pure train haulage, the locomotive shunter has other operational and customer service tasks. This includes, among other things, train tests, the creation of wagon lists and brake slips, tracking of wagon routes in IT systems, the operation of sidings and contact with the end customer there. This variety of activities is not fundamental. The work of the locomotive shunter thus includes activities in various rail professions, including train drivers, shunting attendants and train preparers. Despite this extended range of tasks compared to the train driver, the Lrf work is usually paid less than the work of a mainline train driver, especially since a locomotive shunter is not considered a train driver in the collective agreements currently in force in Germany. For career starters trained at freight railways after completing their training as "railroad workers - specializing in locomotive drivers and transport", the Lrf can be a stopover on the way to becoming a mainline engine driver.
In smaller train stations or depots, wagon masters are also trained as locomotive shunting drivers in order to carry out shunting work in addition to their work in the wagon inspection service (e.g. providing trains or shunting abandoned wagons). Furthermore, workshop employees in a depot can be trained as locomotive shunting drivers in order to be able to carry out shunting work on the works tracks. Since only shunting trips have to be carried out, a class 1 railway vehicle driver's license is sufficient in such areas of application. Some locomotive shunting drivers only work within the station, there are big differences depending on the company and location.
Deutsche Bahn employs around 3,100 locomotive shunting drivers (as of 2015). Their union representation was an essential part of the strikes of the union of German locomotive drivers , which began in 2014 and since then has also been allowed to conclude collective agreements for this professional group, which was previously reserved for the railway and transport union .