How to apply for RRB (Railway Recruitment Board) — complete 2026 guide

For RRB ALP/Technician 2024 — the notification Suresh cleared — about 35 lakh candidates applied for 18,799 posts (1 in 186 succeed). For RRB Group D 2024, around 1.08 crore applied for 32,438 posts (1 in 333). The numbers feel impossible, but India's railway recruitment system is also unusually transparent: question papers + responses + answer keys are all published, and challenges to provisional answer keys are accepted online and resolved publicly.

The Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) are the recruitment arms of Indian Railways. There are 21 RRBs spread across the country (Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Allahabad/Prayagraj, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Bilaspur, Chandigarh, Chennai, Gorakhpur, Guwahati, Jammu-Srinagar, Kolkata, Malda, Mumbai, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Ranchi, Secunderabad, Siliguri, Thiruvananthapuram). Each RRB recruits for the railway zones in its region.

The legal anchor is the Indian Railways Act, 1989, read with the Recruitment Rules notified by the Ministry of Railways under Article 309 of the Constitution. Recruitment for Group D / Level 1 posts goes through the Railway Recruitment Cell (RRC) of each zone; Group C and above goes through RRBs. Reservation and age relaxation follow DoPT guidelines: SC/ST 5 years, OBC 3 years, PwBD 10 years (15 for SC/ST PwBD), Ex-servicemen as per length of service.

Five major recruitment categories you'll see notified by RRBs:

• NTPC (Non-Technical Popular Categories) — Station Master, Goods Train Manager (Goods Guard), Senior Commercial-cum-Ticket Clerk, Junior Clerk-cum-Typist, Accounts Clerk, Trains Clerk. Two tiers — Graduate (Pay Level 2-6) and Undergraduate (Level 2-3).
• Group D / Level 1 — Track Maintainer Grade-IV, Helper, Assistant Pointsman, Porter. Lowest entry rung but the most posts per cycle.
• JE (Junior Engineer) — Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, S&T, IT. Pay Level 6.
• ALP (Assistant Loco Pilot) — Drivers in training. Eventually become Loco Pilots. Running staff with the highest in-hand pay due to running allowance.
• Technician — Workshop / shed technicians (Electrician, Fitter, Welder, Carpenter, Diesel Mechanic, etc.). Pay Level 2 / Level 5 depending on grade.

You're eligible if all of these are true:

• Indian citizen (or Nepal/Bhutan with PIO/OCI clearance — limited).
• Age between 18 and 33 for Group D / NTPC Undergraduate / Technician (varies for ALP — typically 18-30; Graduate NTPC 18-36 for some posts in 2024). Always check the specific notification.
• Education: 10th pass for Group D; 10th + ITI / Diploma in relevant trade for Technician and ALP; 12th pass for NTPC-UG; Graduation for NTPC-Graduate; Diploma / B.E. in relevant branch for JE.
• Medical fitness as per railway medical standards — Aye-One (A-1) for running staff (loco pilots, station masters), Aye-Two (A-2), Bee-One (B-1) etc. depending on post. Vision, color vision, hearing, BMI all matter.

The Railway Recruitment Board, Chandigarh portal (rrbcdg.gov.in) is the central window — every fresh RRB notification (across categories) is announced here first, with links to all 21 regional RRB sites. Bookmark it.

• Notifications are published in Employment News and on rrbcdg.gov.in → “Latest Notifications”.
• Read the Centralised Employment Notice (CEN) PDF carefully — it lists vacancy by zone, age limit, education, syllabus, fee, important dates, exam centres.

Since 2024 RRBs use a single OTR that works across all RRB notifications. Create it once.

• Go to rrbcdg.gov.in → “One Time Registration / Sign Up”.
• Aadhaar OTP eKYC pulls in your name, DOB, address, gender.
• Set a password. You'll get an OTR number — save it (you'll need it for every future application).
• Upload photo (JPG, 35 KB-100 KB) and signature (JPG, 15 KB-50 KB) in the prescribed format. This is the single most common rejection trigger. Photo must be on a light background, taken within the last 3 months, name + date written below — and the file size limits are strict.

Once OTR is done, log in to the regional RRB site for the zone you want.

• From rrbcdg.gov.in → click your preferred RRB (e.g., “RRB Mumbai”, “RRB Patna”, “RRB Bhubaneswar”).
• Click “Apply Online” against the open notification.
• Choose one RRB region for that notification. Do not apply to two RRBs for the same notification. The system flags it later and both applications are cancelled (and the fee is forfeited).
• Fill exam city preferences (3 cities in order of preference).
• Choose post preferences (multiple posts can be ranked — order matters in the final allotment).

• ₹500 — General / OBC / EWS male candidates.
• ₹250 — SC / ST / PwBD / Female (any category) / Ex-servicemen / Transgender / Minorities / Economically Backward Class.
• Modes: net banking, debit/credit card, UPI, SBI Challan (offline).
• Refund policy (the unique RRB feature, applicable since 2018): ₹400 of the General fee and the full ₹250 of the reserved-category fee is refunded to your bank account within 60-90 days of attending the CBT 1, net of bank charges. You only need to attend the test — the marks don't matter. This is announced at the head of every notification PDF.

• Preview → Submit. The Registration Number is generated.
• Download and print the final application form PDF — keep this. You'll need it at Document Verification.

• Admit cards are released 10-14 days before the exam date.
• Login → “Admit Card” → choose exam date and shift → download → print on plain A4.
• Carry the admit card + one original photo ID (Aadhaar / Voter ID / Driving License / PAN / Passport) to the centre. Photocopy is not accepted.

• CBT 1 — qualifying. ~75-100 questions, 60-90 minutes. General Awareness + Mathematics + General Intelligence & Reasoning + General Science. Negative marking 1/3. Cutoff is category-wise per RRB. Only those who clear CBT 1 are called for CBT 2 (typically 15× the vacancy).
• CBT 2 — merit-deciding. Larger and harder; subject-specific for ALP, Technician, JE. For NTPC it has 120 questions in 90 minutes.
• CBAT — Computer Based Aptitude Test — only for ALP and Station Master. Six tests (Memory, Following Directions, Depth Perception, Concentration, Perceptual Speed, Reasoning). Each test has its own cutoff (42 marks); failing any one knocks you out.
• PET — Physical Efficiency Test — only for Group D. Male: lift 35 kg + carry 100 m in 2 min, run 1000 m in 4:15 min. Female: lift 20 kg + carry 100 m in 2 min, run 1000 m in 5:40 min. Qualifying — no marks.
• Document Verification (DV) — at the RRB office of the region you applied to. Bring all originals + 2 sets of self-attested photocopies.
• Medical Examination — at the railway hospital allotted. Vision (uncorrected and corrected), colour perception, hearing, urine sugar, BP, BMI, hernia, varicose veins for running staff. Take a heavy meal the night before but light meal in the morning.
• Final panel is published per RRB; appointment letters are issued by the divisional offices of each zone.

+-----------------+---------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| Category /      |  Age    | Education   | Application   | Refund after   |
| Post            | range   | minimum     | fee           | attending CBT1 |
+-----------------+---------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| Group D /       | 18-33   | 10th pass   | Gen ₹500 /    | ₹400 / ₹250    |
| Level 1         |         | (or 10+ITI  | SC,ST,Female, |                |
| (Track Mainte-  |         | for some)   | PwBD,ExSM     |                |
| ner, Helper)    |         |             | ₹250          |                |
+-----------------+---------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| ALP / Asst Loco | 18-30   | 10th + ITI  | Gen ₹500 /    | ₹400 / ₹250    |
| Pilot           |         | in relevant | Reserved ₹250 |                |
|                 |         | trade OR    |               |                |
|                 |         | 10th +      |               |                |
|                 |         | Diploma     |               |                |
+-----------------+---------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| Technician      | 18-33   | 10th + ITI  | Gen ₹500 /    | ₹400 / ₹250    |
| Grade I/III     |         | OR Diploma  | Reserved ₹250 |                |
+-----------------+---------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| NTPC            | 18-33 / | 12th pass   | Gen ₹500 /    | ₹400 / ₹250    |
| Undergraduate   | (UG)    |             | Reserved ₹250 |                |
+-----------------+---------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| NTPC Graduate   | 18-36   | Bachelor's  | Gen ₹500 /    | ₹400 / ₹250    |
| (Stn Master,    |         | degree      | Reserved ₹250 |                |
| Goods Guard)    |         |             |               |                |
+-----------------+---------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| JE (Junior      | 18-33   | 3-yr        | Gen ₹500 /    | ₹400 / ₹250    |
| Engineer)       |         | Diploma /   | Reserved ₹250 |                |
|                 |         | B.E. /B.Tech|               |                |
+-----------------+---------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| Age relaxation  | +5 SC/ST, +3 OBC NCL, +10 PwBD (+15 SC/ST PwBD),       |
| (DoPT)          | Ex-servicemen as per service length, J&K residents     |
|                 | of 1980-89 +5, 1984 riot victims +5, women +10 in some |
|                 | states.                                                |
+-----------------+---------+-------------+---------------+----------------+
| Number of RRBs  | One only — applying to two RRBs in same CEN            |
| per CEN         | rejects both applications and forfeits fee.            |
+-----------------+---------+-------------+---------------+----------------+

• Photo / signature wrong format. Background not light, photo not name-and-date stamped, file size out of band (35-100 KB for photo, 15-50 KB for signature). The portal flags some of these but not all — and “wrong photograph” rejection at DV is unappealable.
• OTR profile mismatch. Name on Aadhaar differs from name on 10th certificate (very common — middle name / surname / spelling). Get a Name Correction Affidavit + update one of the two before applying.
• Caste / EWS certificate format. Must be in the Central Government format (Annexure II for OBC NCL — explicitly mentioning “non-creamy layer”). State-format certificates are rejected at DV. Issue date must be within 1 year of DV.
• PwBD certificate — must be on the Form V/VI/VII as per RPwD Act 2016, signed by a 3-doctor medical board, with the National Disability ID (UDID number).
• Multi-RRB application conflict — both applications cancelled. Period.
• Medical failure — most common: uncorrected vision below A-1 standard for running staff (loco pilot, station master, motorman). Also: colour blindness (Ishihara test), hearing loss, BMI > 30, varicose veins, hernia, hypertension > 140/90.
• Document Verification mismatch — the original 10th certificate / ITI marksheet shows a different name / DOB / father's name from your online application. Even small discrepancies (e.g., “Suresh K Mahto” vs “Suresh Kumar Mahto”) get flagged.
• Result not declared / answer key challenge ignored — RRBs publish provisional answer keys with a 4-5 day window for online challenge at ₹50 per question. Some challenges are quietly rejected without reasons.
• Centre allotted in a different state — RRBs allot CBT centres centrally; not always in your preferred city.

Each RRB has its own helpdesk number and email — listed on the regional site (e.g., rrbmumbai.gov.in/contact for Mumbai, rrbpatna.gov.in for Patna). Average response time: 7-15 days. Best for application-stage issues (photo upload, fee not credited, OTR locked).

• rrbcdg.gov.in → “Contact Us” — central helpline for OTR-stage issues, fee refund queries, exam city change requests.
• Email: rrbcdg@gov.in

• CRIS handles the technical infrastructure for RRB OTR + CBTs. If the portal itself is down or you face a payment-gateway-stuck issue, the helpdesk routes the ticket to CRIS.
• Generally not directly reachable by candidates — go through your RRB helpdesk.

• https://pgportal.gov.in → choose ministry “Ministry of Railways” → sub-department “Railway Board” or “RRB”.
• Higher visibility. Routed to a Joint Director / Director in the Ministry's Establishment Wing.
• 30-day SLA; useful when the regional RRB is non-responsive.

• railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in — primarily for journey complaints, but also accepts recruitment-related grievances under the “Other” category.
• Faster routing (often 7 days) but may end with a “please contact RRB” response.

This is where the legal clock begins. Indian Railways — including each RRB, the Railway Board, and CRIS — is a public authority under §2(h) of the RTI Act 2005. Each RRB has a designated PIO and First Appellate Authority (FAA) listed on its portal under “RTI”.

RTI helps here when:

• Your CBT 1 / CBT 2 result is not declared while others' is — RTI to the PIO of the relevant RRB asking for the date of declaration and your raw + normalised marks.
• You want a copy of your answer sheet / response sheet post-result. The Supreme Court in Aditya Bandopadhyay (CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, 2011) 8 SCC 497 held that an evaluated answer sheet is “information” under §2(f) of the RTI Act and must be disclosed. RRBs comply on this for CBT response sheets and CBAT raw scores.
• The provisional answer key has a question you challenged at ₹50 — and the final key was published without explanation. RTI to PIO RRB for: (a) the subject expert's note on your specific challenge, (b) the rationale for accepting / rejecting it.
• You were medically rejected and want the specific clinical finding (e.g., “DV-1 by Snellen chart of 6/9 in right eye, below A-1 standard”) rather than the generic “found unfit” letter — RTI to PIO of the railway hospital that conducted the medical, with consent for medical record disclosure.
• Your DV was rejected on a document mismatch — RTI to the RRB PIO for the specific noting in the DV file (which clerk flagged what).
• You suspect post-allotment manipulation — RTI to PIO Railway Board for zone-wise vacancy + final allotment list (always public after panel publication).

See the dedicated guide: RTI in 12 simple steps — for first-time filers.

RTI does NOT help here when:

• You want the answer key changed because your “interpretation is correct” — RTI gets you the file noting; it does not override the subject expert. For that, your only route is Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) under Article 323A.
• You filed an RTI within 5 days of the exam and ask “tell me my result” before the result is officially declared — premature; PIOs reply “result not yet declared”.
• You want to change your category (Gen → OBC, OBC → SC) post-application — that's a substantive rule violation, not an information issue.
• You want to challenge the medical standard itself (e.g., A-1 vision is too strict) — that's a policy challenge, not an RTI subject. File a writ in the High Court or appeal to CAT.
• You're asking for “model answers” before the answer key is published — PIO will deny under §8(1)(d) (commercial confidence / examination integrity).

For sibling guides, see How to apply for SSC CGL — complete 2026 guide and How to apply for UPSC Civil Services — complete 2026 guide.

Q. Can I apply for two posts (e.g., NTPC + Group D) in the same year?
Yes — they are different notifications (CENs). You can apply for both, pay separate fees, and write both exams. The “one RRB per CEN” rule applies within a single notification, not across different notifications.

Q. My fee was deducted but the application shows “not paid”. What now?
Wait 24 hours; most payment-gateway delays auto-resolve and the status updates. If still pending, raise a complaint with the regional RRB helpdesk with payment reference number. If you re-pay before the deadline (not recommended), the duplicate will be refunded after exam. As a last resort, RTI to PIO RRB with the bank statement.

Q. I'm 35 — am I age-barred from RRB?
For Gen male candidates, yes (upper limit 33 for Group D / Tech / NTPC-UG; 30 for ALP). With OBC NCL + 3 yrs you have until 36. SC/ST + 5 yrs, until 38. PwBD + 10 yrs, until 43. Always check the cut-off date stated in the CEN — usually 1 January of the year of notification.

Q. I cleared CBT but did not get the ₹400 refund. What now?
Refunds are released 60-90 days after the last shift of CBT 1 in your region. If still pending after 120 days, raise a ticket with the regional RRB with your registration number + bank account details + cancelled cheque. As escalation, file an RTI to PIO RRB asking for the refund file status.

Q. I lost my OTR number. How do I recover it?
Go to rrbcdg.gov.in → “Forgot OTR” → enter Aadhaar number + DOB + registered mobile → OTP → OTR number is sent on SMS/email. If your mobile is lost, raise a ticket with the helpdesk attaching Aadhaar copy.

Q. The medical board declared me unfit but I think the doctor was wrong. Can I appeal?
Yes. There is an Appellate Medical Examination (₹40 fee, payable at the railway hospital) before a 3-doctor board, conducted within 21 days of the original medical. Decision is final. After that, the only route is CAT.

Q. I cleared everything but did not get an appointment letter even after 3 months from final result.
Final panels are forwarded by RRBs to the Railway Recruitment Cell of each zone, who then issue appointment letters as per vacancy in their division. There can be a 3-9 month gap. RTI to the CPO/Recruitment of the zone you've been allotted — they hold the file.

Q. Can I switch zones after appointment?
For the first 2 years, no. After 2 years, you can apply for mutual transfer (find another employee willing to swap) under the Railway Establishment Manual. Unilateral transfer requests are usually rejected for the first 5 years.

• How to apply for SSC CGL — complete 2026 guide
• How to apply for UPSC Civil Services — complete 2026 guide
• How to challenge exam result / get revaluation — complete 2026 guide
• RTI in 12 simple steps — for first-time filers
• All Indian government helplines — one master directory
• RTI forms + state-wise fee chart

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026 by RTI Wiki editorial team. RRB notifications + fee structure + age limits change with each CEN — verify current values on rrbcdg.gov.in or write to admin@bighelpers.in if you spot a stale figure.