RRB ALP Recruitment 2026 — 11,127 Vacancies Notified, Apply Online
The Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) have officially released the Centralised Employment Notice (CEN) No. 01/2026 for the recruitment of 11,127 Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) posts across all 21 RRBs and 17 railway zones in India. Eligible candidates can apply online from 15 May 2026 to 14 June 2026 through the central recruitment portal www.rrbapply.gov.in. The initial pay for the ALP post is ₹19,900 per month at Pay Level-2 under the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC).
⚠️ Important Notice: The application window for RRB ALP CEN 01/2026 is currently live. The last date to submit the online application is 14 June 2026 (23:59 hrs). Last date for application fee payment is 16 June 2026 (23:59 hrs).
Recruitment Overview
Detail — Information
- Recruiting Authority — Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), Ministry of Railways, Government of India
- Notification Number — CEN No. 01/2026
- Post Name — Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP)
- Total Vacancies — 11,127
- Pay Level — Level-2 (7th CPC Pay Matrix)
- Initial Pay — ₹19,900 per month
- Medical Standard — A-1
- Age Limit (as on 01.07.2026) — 18 to 30 years
- Application Mode — Online Only
- Official Application Portal — www.rrbapply.gov.in
- Indicative Notice Published — 21 March 2026 (Employment News)
- Detailed Notification Released — 14 May 2026
- Participating RRBs — 21
Important Dates
Detail — Date
- Indicative Notice in Employment News — 21 March 2026
- Detailed CEN Released — 14 May 2026
- Opening of Online Application — 15 May 2026 (00:00 hrs)
- Last Date to Submit Online Application — 14 June 2026 (23:59 hrs)
- Last Date for Application Fee Payment — 16 June 2026 (23:59 hrs)
- Application Modification Window (with fee) — 17 June 2026 to 26 June 2026 (23:59 hrs)
- CBT-1 (Stage 1) Exam Date — Not Yet Announced Officially (Tentative: August 2026)
- City Intimation (CBT-1) — ~10 days before CBT-1 date
- Admit Card (E-Call Letter) for CBT-1 — ~4 days before CBT-1 date
- CBT-2 (Stage 2) Exam Date — Not Yet Announced Officially
- CBAT Exam Date — Not Yet Announced Officially
- Document Verification Date — Not Yet Announced Officially
- Result Date — Not Yet Announced Officially
Source: CEN No. 01/2026, Ministry of Railways / RRBs (Official PDF). All exam dates beyond the application window are not yet officially announced.
Application Fee
Category
- General / OBC (NCL) / EWS
- SC / ST / Ex-Servicemen / Female / Transgender / Minorities / EBC
- Payment Mode
Application Fee
- ₹500
- ₹250
- Online: Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card / Offline: E-Challan
Fee Refund Policy (Official)
As per CEN 01/2026, the examination fee is partially refunded to candidates who actually appear in Stage 1 (CBT-1):
- General / OBC / EWS candidates: ₹400 refunded (deducting bank charges from ₹500)
- SC / ST / EBC / Female / Transgender candidates: ₹250 refunded (full fee refunded)
Candidates who do not appear in CBT-1 will not receive any refund.
Vacancy Details
A total of 11,127 vacancies have been notified for the post of Assistant Loco Pilot across all 21 RRBs and 17 railway zones. The RRB-wise and railway zone-wise detailed distribution of vacancies is given in Annexure-B of the official CEN 01/2026 notification PDF.
Participating RRBs (All 21)
S.No.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
RRB
- RRB Ahmedabad
- RRB Ajmer
- RRB Bengaluru
- RRB Bhopal
- RRB Bhubaneswar
- RRB Bilaspur
- RRB Chandigarh
- RRB Chennai
- RRB Gorakhpur
- RRB Guwahati
- RRB Jammu-Srinagar
- RRB Kolkata
- RRB Malda
- RRB Mumbai
- RRB Muzaffarpur
- RRB Patna
- RRB Prayagraj
- RRB Ranchi
- RRB Secunderabad
- RRB Siliguri
- RRB Thiruvananthapuram
Exact category-wise (UR/OBC/SC/ST/EWS) and zone-wise vacancy breakdowns are published in Annexure-B of the official CEN PDF on respective RRB websites. Candidates must check the zone-wise vacancy list for their preferred RRB before applying. Vacancy figures are provisional and may change as per the requirement of Railway Administrations.
Critical Rule: A candidate can apply to only one RRB. Applying to multiple RRBs will result in disqualification and debarment from future RRB/RRC examinations. The choice of RRB, once submitted, is final and cannot be changed.
Age Limit (as on 01 July 2026)
Category — Age Limit
- Minimum Age — 18 years
- Maximum Age (UR / General) — 30 years
- Maximum Age (OBC-NCL) — 33 years (30 + 3 years relaxation)
- Maximum Age (SC / ST) — 35 years (30 + 5 years relaxation)
- Maximum Age (PwBD — UR) — 40 years (30 + 10 years)
- Maximum Age (PwBD — OBC) — 43 years
- Maximum Age (PwBD — SC/ST) — 45 years
- Course-Completed Act Apprentice (UR) — 35 years
- Course-Completed Act Apprentice (OBC-NCL) — 38 years
- Course-Completed Act Apprentice (SC/ST) — 40 years
- Ex-Servicemen — Service rendered + 3 years (age relaxation as per railway rules)
- Candidates domiciled in J&K (01.01.1980–31.12.1989) — 5 years additional relaxation
Date of Birth Range for UR/EWS candidates: Born between 02 July 1996 and 01 July 2008 (both dates inclusive).
Source: Para 5.0 and 5.1, CEN No. 01/2026, Railway Recruitment Boards.
Medical Standards
The post of Assistant Loco Pilot carries Medical Standard A-1 — the highest and most stringent medical standard in Indian Railways. This is because the ALP is responsible for safe train operations.
Key medical requirements under A-1 standard include:
- Vision: Distant vision 6/6 in one eye and 6/9 in the other without glasses. Near vision: Sn: 0.6 in one eye and Sn: 0.8 in the other without glasses. Colour vision: CP-1 (full colour vision required — no colour blindness permitted).
- LASIK Surgery: Candidates who have undergone LASIK or any other corrective eye surgery are not eligible for the ALP post. A self-declaration proforma (Annexure-VI) must be submitted at the CBAT stage.
- Candidates must pass all aspects of the Railway Medical Examination as per A-1 standard.
- Candidates found medically unfit will not be offered any alternative post under this CEN.
Source: Para 3.0 (Medical Standards), CEN No. 01/2026. Candidates are strongly advised to check their eligibility against the full A-1 medical standard before applying, to avoid rejection at a later stage.
Educational Qualification
As per Annexure-A (Post Parameters) of CEN 01/2026, candidates must possess any one of the following qualifications on or before the closing date of application (14 June 2026). Candidates awaiting their final results are not eligible.
1 — Matriculation + ITI
Passed Matriculation / SSLC AND holds an ITI certificate from a recognised institution under NCVT or SCVT in any of the following trades:
- Armature and Coil Winder
- Electrician
- Electronics Mechanic
- Fitter
- Heat Engine
- Instrument Mechanic
- Machinist
- Mechanic Diesel
- Mechanic Motor Vehicle
- Millwright Maintenance Mechanic
- Mechanic (Radio & TV)
- Refrigeration and AC Mechanic
- Tractor Mechanic
- Turner
- Wireman
2 — Engineering Diploma
Three-year Diploma in Engineering in a relevant discipline (Mechanical / Electrical / Electronics / Automobile or equivalent) from a recognised institution.
3 — Engineering Degree
Bachelor’s degree (B.E. / B.Tech.) in Engineering in a relevant stream from a recognised university.
Important: The exact list of eligible trades and discipline combinations is specified in Annexure-A of the official CEN 01/2026 PDF available on official RRB websites. Candidates must verify their specific trade against the official list before applying.
Selection Process
The selection of candidates for the post of ALP under CEN 01/2026 will be conducted through the following stages:
Stage 1 — CBT-1 (Computer Based Test — First Stage)
Purpose: Screening test only. CBT-1 marks are not counted in the final merit list.
Parameter — Details
- Number of Questions — 75
- Total Marks — 75 (1 mark per question)
- Duration — 60 minutes (1 hour)
- Type — Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Negative Marking — Yes — 1/3 mark deducted per wrong answer
- Subjects — Mathematics, General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Science
- Minimum Qualifying Marks — UR/EWS: 40% | OBC (NCL): 30% | SC: 30% | ST: 25%
Shortlisting for CBT-2: Top candidates at the rate of 15 times the notified vacancies per RRB, based on CBT-1 normalized merit.
Stage 2 — CBT-2 (Computer Based Test — Second Stage)
CBT-2 has two parts:
Part A (Merit-Based):
Parameter — Details
- Number of Questions — 100
- Total Marks — 100
- Duration — 90 minutes
- Subjects — Mathematics, General Intelligence & Reasoning, Basic Science & Engineering, General Awareness on Current Affairs
- Negative Marking — Yes — 1/3 mark per wrong answer
- Minimum Qualifying Marks — UR/EWS: 40% | OBC (NCL): 30% | SC: 30% | ST: 25%
Parameter — Details
- Number of Questions — 100
- Total Marks — 100
- Duration — 60 minutes
- Subjects — Trade-specific technical questions (based on the ITI trade / Diploma discipline chosen by the candidate)
- Negative Marking — Yes — 1/3 mark per wrong answer
- Minimum Qualifying Marks — 35% for all categories
Important: Part B marks are not counted in the merit for CBAT shortlisting. Candidates must only qualify Part B. Only Part A marks are used for shortlisting for CBAT.Shortlisting for CBAT: Top candidates at the rate of 8 times the notified vacancies per RRB based on CBT-2 Part A normalized marks.
Stage 3 — CBAT (Computer Based Aptitude Test)
The CBAT is mandatory for ALP posts and tests the psycho-technical aptitude required for train operations.Parameter — Details
- No. of Test Batteries — Multiple standardised tests
- Negative Marking — No negative marking in CBAT
- Minimum Qualifying Score — T-Score of 42 or above in each test battery
- Qualifying Nature — Qualifying (pass/fail basis)
Candidates must also submit a Self-Screening Medical Declaration (Annexure-VIIIA and VIIIB) on the CBAT exam day.
- 50% weightage from CBT-2 Part A marks + 50% weightage from CBAT marks
- Note: The weightage for CBAT has been revised in CEN 01/2026 from 30% (as in previous cycles) to 50%. This is a significant change for candidates preparing for ALP 2026.
Stage 4 — Document Verification (DV)
Candidates shortlisted on final merit will be called for Document Verification. All original documents including educational certificates, age proof, category certificates, and other supporting documents must be produced in original.Stage 5 — Medical Examination
Selected candidates will undergo a Railway Medical Examination as per the A-1 medical standard. Candidates found medically unfit at this stage will not be offered any alternative appointment.Important Links
Link — URL / Action
- Apply Online — www.rrbapply.gov.in
- Official CEN 01/2026 Notification PDF (RRB CDG) — Download Official PDF
- Admit Card (when released) —
- CBT-1 Result (when declared) —
- Final Result (when declared) —
How to Apply Online — Step-by-Step Guide
- Candidates who wish to apply for the Railway RRB ALP Recruitment 2026 can submit their application form through the online mode before the last date mentioned in the official notification.
- To apply directly, candidates can use the Apply Online link provided in the Important Links section below. Alternatively, applicants may visit the official website of the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) and complete the registration and application process online.
- Before filling out the application form, candidates should ensure that they meet all the eligibility requirements prescribed by the Railway Recruitment Board. Applicants are advised to keep all required documents, including educational certificates, identification proof, photograph, and signature, ready before starting the online application process.
- Candidates must carefully review all details entered in the application form before final submission. Any incorrect or incomplete information may lead to rejection of the application. It is also recommended to take a printout of the final submitted application form for future reference.