RailFans - once you meet them, friends for life

I know it isn't relevant but if you truly want to get benefit of apprenticeship, try to do it in a private firm. They are forever short of manpower, thus leading to fairly large availability of work from people more than willing to reduce their workload, and since their recruitment isn't encumbered by social obligations (reservations, project affected persons) or politics by government there is a better chance of absorption in workforce.
Pay sucks though, 10000 per month is what many get.

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