The application process for recruitment to around 22,000 Railway Group D posts has been postponed. Earlier, applications were scheduled to begin on January 21, but they will now start from January 31. As per the revised schedule, candidates can apply from January 31 to March 2, 2026, till 11:59 pm. Eligible and interested candidates can submit their applications online at www.rrbapply.gov.in during this period.
The Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) have advised candidates to ensure that their Aadhaar details are updated before applying. The photograph on the Aadhaar card should be the latest one, and the name and date of birth on Aadhaar must exactly match the details mentioned in the Class 10 certificate. If there is any mismatch, candidates should update their Aadhaar details in advance.
RRBs have clarified that Aadhaar verification will be required while filling out the online form. If Aadhaar is not verified, candidates may face delays and inconvenience due to additional checks at every stage of the recruitment process. Applicants are also advised to update their biometric details, including fingerprints and iris scans, to avoid any issues during verification.
All final rules, eligibility conditions, and procedures will be mentioned in the detailed Centralised Employment Notification No. 09/2025, which will be released on the official RRB websites.
Eligibility criteria yet to be clarified
The short notice does not clearly mention the eligibility criteria, which has led to confusion among candidates. Clarity will come only after the detailed notification is released. It is expected that the minimum qualification will be either ITI or a Class 10 pass. However, it is not yet clear whether all Class 10 pass candidates will be eligible for all posts or whether some posts will be reserved only for ITI-qualified candidates. These doubts will be addressed in the detailed notification.
As per the proposal, 993 posts have been allotted to East Central Railway and 1,199 posts to South Eastern Railway. The Engineering Department has the highest number of vacancies, with about 12,500 posts. Among these, Track Maintainer Grade 4 has the maximum vacancies at around 11,000.
Other proposed vacancies include 5,000 posts for Traffic Pointsman, 1,500 for Assistant (S&T), 1,000 for Assistant (C&W), 500 for Assistant Operations, 200 for Assistant Loco Shed, 800 for Assistant (TRD), 300 for Assistant (P-Way), 600 for Assistant (Track Machine) and 600 for Assistant (Bridge). Final and confirmed post-wise details will be available only after the detailed notification is released.
Age limit and relaxation
Candidates between 18 and 33 years of age can apply for this recruitment. Age relaxation of three years will be given to OBC candidates, while SC and ST candidates will get a relaxation of five years, as per government rules.
The selection process will include a Computer Based Test (CBT) followed by a Physical Efficiency Test (PET). Candidates who qualify in the CBT will be called for the PET. The CBT will be conducted in a single stage, and candidates who clear the PET will then go through document verification and a medical examination.
CBT exam pattern and marking scheme
The CBT will be of 90 minutes duration and will have 100 questions. There will be 25 questions each from Mathematics and General Science, 30 questions from General Intelligence and Reasoning, and 20 questions from General Awareness and Current Affairs. One-third of the marks will be deducted for every wrong answer.
The exam will be conducted using the normalisation method. Around three times the number of vacancies will be shortlisted for the PET. The minimum qualifying marks in the CBT are 40 percent for UR and EWS categories, 30 percent for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), SC, and ST candidates.
The Railway Recruitment Board has clearly stated that candidates can apply for only one Railway Recruitment Board (RRB). Applications submitted to more than one RRB will be rejected. However, candidates can apply for multiple posts within the same RRB through a single online application form. Submitting multiple forms for the same RRB is not required and may lead to rejection.
Candidates belonging to General, OBC, and EWS categories will have to pay an application fee of Rs 500. Out of this amount, Rs 400 will be refunded to candidates who appear for the first stage CBT.