East Coast Railway Apprentice Recruitment 2026 - Apply Online for 1599 Posts

East Coast Railway Apprentice Recruitment 2026: East Coast Railway (ECoR), Railway Recruitment Cell, Bhubaneswar has released Notification No. ECoR/Pers/RRC/Act Apprentice/2026-27 for engagement of Act Apprentices for the year 2026-27. A total of 1,599 apprenticeship slots have been announced in various designated trades across Divisions, Workshops and Headquarters under East Coast Railway.

The online application process will start on 26 August 2026 at 05:00 PM and eligible candidates can apply up to 15 September 2026 at 05:00 PM. Candidates should generally have passed Class 10 with at least 50% aggregate marks and possess the prescribed ITI qualification in the relevant trade. Selection will be made purely on the basis of Matriculation marks, followed by Document Verification and Medical Fitness. There will be no written examination or viva.

Official Notification PDF: East Coast Railway Apprentice Recruitment 2026

East Coast Railway Apprentice Recruitment 2026 Overview

East Coast Railway Apprentice Recruitment 2026 Important Dates

East Coast Railway Apprentice Vacancy 2026

East Coast Railway has announced a total of 1,599 Act Apprentice slots for training in designated trades at different Divisions, Workshops and establishments.

Within the overall notified slots, 50 slots are indicated for PwBD candidates and 42 slots for Ex-Servicemen under horizontal reservation.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Unit-Wise Vacancy 2026

Carriage Repair Workshop Mancheswar Apprentice Vacancy 2026

RGDA Division Apprentice Vacancy 2026

Khurda Road Division Apprentice Vacancy 2026

Sambalpur Division Apprentice Vacancy 2026

East Coast Railway Headquarters Apprentice Vacancy 2026

East Coast Railway Apprentice Eligible Trades 2026

The notification lists the following designated / ITI trades:

• Fitter
• Welder
• Turner
• Machinist
• Electrician
• Carpenter
• Painter (General)
• Mechanic Diesel (TMO)
• Secretarial Assistant (Stenography)
• Black Smith
• Driller
• Bridge Erector
• Sheet Metal Worker
• Electronics Mechanic / Electronics Mechanic (TMO)
• Wireman / Electrician
• Mechanic Refrigeration & AC
• Plumber
• Draftsman (Civil)
• Mechanic (Motor Vehicle)
• Computer Operator & Programming Assistant
• Laboratory Technician (Pathology)
• Sarang
• Grinder
• Mason
• Draftsman (Mechanic)

East Coast Railway Apprentice Eligibility Criteria 2026

Candidates must satisfy the prescribed age and educational / technical qualification conditions as on the dates specified in the notification.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Qualification 2026

The general educational and technical qualifications are:

• Passed Matriculation / Class 10 under the 10+2 examination system from a recognised Board.
• Minimum 50% aggregate marks in Matriculation.
• Possess an ITI certificate in the relevant trade as prescribed under the Apprentices Act, 1961.
• The relevant trade qualification should be affiliated / recognised as prescribed in the notification.

Candidates must have already passed the prescribed qualification as on 21 August 2026, the date of issue of the notification.

Who Is Not Eligible for East Coast Railway Apprentice 2026?

• Candidates whose Class 10 or ITI results are awaited as on 21 August 2026 are not eligible.
• Candidates who have failed in ITI should not apply.
• Engineering graduates are not eligible under this Act Apprentice notification.
• Engineering diploma holders are not eligible under this notification because they come under a separate apprenticeship scheme.

Laboratory Technician Pathology Qualification 2026

For the Laboratory Technician (Pathology) trade, candidates must have:

• Passed Class 12 under the 10+2 system with Physics, Chemistry and Biology; and
• At least 50% marks in Class 10; and
• At least 50% marks in Class 12.

Candidates applying for this trade must upload the Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets and pass certificates.

Secretarial Assistant and Stenography Qualification

For Secretarial Assistant / Stenography, the candidate must possess the prescribed National Trade Certificate (NTC) approved by NCVT / SCVT.

Computer Operator and Programming Assistant Qualification

For Computer Operator & Programming Assistant, the notification prescribes the relevant National Trade Certificate along with the applicable Information Technology Sector training qualification under the specified Centre of Excellence scheme.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Age Limit 2026

Age will be calculated as on 15 September 2026.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Age Relaxation 2026

East Coast Railway Apprentice Reservation 2026

The notification provides reservation for SC, ST, OBC, EWS, Persons with Benchmark Disabilities and Ex-Servicemen according to the applicable rules.

• PwBD horizontal reservation: 4%
• Ex-Servicemen horizontal reservation: 3%

These horizontal reservation slots are included within the total number of 1,599 slots and are not additional vacancies.

East Coast Railway OBC Certificate Requirement 2026

OBC candidates must upload an OBC certificate along with a valid Non-Creamy Layer certificate in the prescribed Central Government format.

The OBC-NCL certificate must:

• Be valid for the year 2026-27;
• Have been issued on or after 01 April 2026;
• Be issued by the competent authority; and
• Clearly mention the caste, issue date and official seal.

OBC-NCL candidates must also upload the prescribed self-declaration regarding their current Non-Creamy Layer status.

East Coast Railway EWS Eligibility 2026

Candidates who are not covered under SC, ST or OBC-NCL reservation and whose family gross annual income is below Rs. 8 lakh may claim EWS reservation subject to the prescribed income, asset and certificate conditions.

A valid Income and Asset Certificate in the prescribed format must be available as on the closing date of registration.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Application Fee 2026

The Rs. 100 application fee is non-refundable.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Fee Payment Mode 2026

The application fee must be paid online through the payment gateway integrated with the application portal.

Available payment methods include:

• Debit Card
• Credit Card
• UPI
• Internet Banking

Applicable transaction charges, if any, have to be borne by the candidate.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Selection Process 2026

Selection of eligible applicants will be made purely through a merit list based on Matriculation marks.

The selection stages include:

• Preparation of unit-wise merit list based on Class 10 marks
• Trade-wise and community-wise shortlisting
• Document Verification
• Medical Fitness Certificate verification
• Final selection according to merit and preference

There will be no written examination and no viva / interview.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Merit List 2026

The merit list for each unit will be prepared solely on the basis of the percentage of marks obtained in Matriculation, subject to the candidate having at least 50% aggregate marks.

For calculation of the Matriculation percentage:

• Marks obtained in all subjects will be counted.
• The calculation will not be based on the best five subjects.
• Optional, additional and alternate subjects appearing on the marksheet will also be considered.
• Candidates having CGPA must convert it into actual marks / equivalent percentage as applicable.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Tie-Breaking Rule 2026

If two or more candidates obtain the same marks:

1. The older candidate will be given preference.
2. If the date of birth is also the same, the candidate who passed Matriculation earlier will receive preference.

East Coast Railway Unit Department Trade Preference Rule

Candidates will be shortlisted based on academic merit and the order of Unit-Department-Trade preference exercised in the online application.

A candidate will ultimately be considered for only one Unit-Department-Trade combination. Once selected against a higher preference, all lower preferences will automatically be cancelled.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Document Verification 2026

Trade-wise and community-wise merit lists will be prepared and shortlisted candidates will be called for Document Verification at the Headquarters of East Coast Railway / Railway Recruitment Cell, Bhubaneswar.

Final engagement will be subject to:

• Verification of original certificates and testimonials; and
• Submission of the prescribed Medical Fitness Certificate.

Candidates placed on the standby list may be called if candidates higher in merit are absent, medically unfit or rejected during verification.

Documents Required for East Coast Railway Apprentice 2026

Candidates are required to upload legible scanned copies of the applicable documents, including:

• Class 10 / Matriculation Marksheet
• Class 10 / Matriculation Pass Certificate
• Date of Birth Certificate if DOB is not available on the Matriculation certificate
• Consolidated ITI Marksheet covering all semesters of the relevant trade
• Provisional National Trade Certificate showing marks, where applicable
• National Trade Certificate issued by NCVT
• Provisional Trade Certificate issued by NCVT / SCVT, where applicable
• SC / ST / OBC Certificate, where applicable
• OBC-NCL Self Declaration, where applicable
• EWS Income and Asset Certificate, where applicable
• PwBD Disability Certificate, where applicable
• Ex-Servicemen Discharge / Serving Certificate, where applicable
• Certificate supporting fee exemption, wherever applicable
• Aadhaar Card / Aadhaar Enrolment details

Original documents must be produced at the time of Document Verification.

Certificates issued in a language other than English or Hindi must be accompanied by an attested English or Hindi translation.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Photograph Specifications 2026

The photograph should have a clear front view without a cap or sunglasses and must not be older than three months from the application date.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Signature Specifications 2026

East Coast Railway Apprentice Aadhaar Requirement 2026

Candidates must possess an Aadhaar Card and enter their 12-digit Aadhaar Number during registration.

Candidates who have enrolled for Aadhaar but have not yet received the card can enter the 28-digit Aadhaar Enrolment ID printed on their enrolment slip.

The original Aadhaar Card will have to be produced during Document Verification.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Medical Fitness 2026

Candidates shortlisted for Document Verification must submit a Medical Fitness Certificate in the prescribed format.

The certificate must be signed by a Government-authorised Gazetted Medical Officer not below the rank of Assistant Surgeon from a Central or State Government Hospital.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Physical Standards 2026

The medical fitness format specifies general standards including:

Candidates must also satisfy the prescribed standards relating to general health, vision and hearing.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Training Period 2026

The notification states that selected candidates will undergo apprenticeship training as per the extant rules.

The notification does not specify one uniform fixed training duration for all the notified trades in the main recruitment conditions.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Stipend 2026

Selected apprentices will receive a monthly stipend at the prescribed rate under the extant rules and Railway Board instructions.

The notification does not provide one fixed monthly stipend amount applicable to all 1,599 slots.

Hostel Facility for East Coast Railway Apprentices

No hostel accommodation will be provided to apprentices during the training period. Selected candidates will have to make their own accommodation arrangements.

How to Apply for East Coast Railway Apprentice Recruitment 2026

1. Visit the official Railway Recruitment Cell, Bhubaneswar website at www.rrcbbs.org.in.
2. Open the East Coast Railway Act Apprentice 2026-27 online application link.
3. Read Notification No. ECoR/Pers/RRC/Act Apprentice/2026-27 carefully.
4. Complete the online registration process.
5. Keep the system-generated Registration Number safely.
6. Login using the registered details.
7. Enter personal details carefully.
8. Enter Aadhaar Number or Aadhaar Enrolment ID as applicable.
9. Enter Class 10 marks / CGPA and equivalent percentage correctly.
10. Select the relevant ITI trade.
11. Select the Division / Workshop according to the available trade vacancies.
12. Enter Unit-Department-Trade preferences carefully where provided.
13. Upload the recent photograph.
14. Upload the scanned signature.
15. Upload Class 10 and ITI certificates / marksheets.
16. Upload reservation certificates where applicable.
17. Upload fee-exemption certificates where applicable.
18. Check all information carefully before proceeding to payment.
19. Pay the Rs. 100 application fee online if applicable.
20. Submit the application before 15 September 2026 at 05:00 PM.
21. Download and retain a printout of the submitted online application.

East Coast Railway One Application Rule 2026

Candidates must carefully follow the application restrictions specified in the notification.

Submission of multiple applications for the same trade using different names, father's names, community details, PwBD details, email IDs, mobile numbers or other particulars can lead to summary rejection.

Candidates possessing ITI qualifications in more than one trade may apply separately for the relevant trades as permitted by the notification, but the rules regarding duplicate applications for the same trade must be strictly followed.

East Coast Railway Division / Workshop Choice 2026

Candidates are permitted to choose only one Division / Workshop. The option once exercised will be final and binding.

Applicants should check Annexure-A carefully and select a Division or Workshop having vacancies corresponding to their trade, qualification, community and category.

Is Hard Copy Required for East Coast Railway Apprentice Application?

No. Candidates are not required to send hard copies of their application, certificates or documents to RRC/BBS by post.

All relevant documents must be uploaded online. However, candidates should retain a printout of the submitted application and produce it whenever required by the Railway Administration.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Agreement of Training

Selected candidates must enter into a Contract of Apprenticeship before commencement of apprenticeship training.

The Apprenticeship Contract / Agreement must be submitted to the Apprenticeship Adviser for registration within the prescribed period.

If the selected candidate is a minor, the guardian must enter into the apprenticeship contract with the employer.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Certificate After Training

On completion of the prescribed training, a Trade Apprentice may be granted the applicable Certificate of Proficiency by the National Council subject to passing the prescribed proficiency test.

Employment After East Coast Railway Apprenticeship

Completion of apprenticeship training does not provide an automatic right to employment in the Railways.

Under the Apprentices Act, the employer is not obligated to offer regular employment after completion of apprenticeship training, and apprentices cannot claim Railway employment merely on the basis of completing the training.

Preference in Railway Level-1 Recruitment

The notification states that candidates who complete apprenticeship training in Railway establishments and possess a National Apprenticeship Certificate may receive preference for up to 20% of vacancies in eligible open-market Level-1 direct recruitment, subject to fulfilment of the eligibility conditions prescribed by RRB / RRC.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Recruitment 2026 Important Instructions

• A total of 1,599 Act Apprentice slots have been notified.
• The notification was issued on 21 August 2026.
• Online applications start on 26 August 2026 at 05:00 PM.
• The last date to apply is 15 September 2026 at 05:00 PM.
• Candidates should generally have passed Class 10 with at least 50% aggregate marks and possess the prescribed ITI qualification.
• Applicants awaiting their Class 10 or ITI results are not eligible.
• Engineering Degree and Diploma holders are not eligible under this notification.
• The age limit is 15 to 24 years as on 15 September 2026.
• Age relaxation applies to eligible SC, ST, OBC, PwBD and Ex-Servicemen candidates.
• The application fee is Rs. 100.
• SC, ST, PwBD and Women candidates are exempted from payment of the application fee.
• PwBD horizontal reservation is 4%.
• Ex-Servicemen horizontal reservation is 3%.
• Selection is based purely on Matriculation marks.
• Marks of all Class 10 subjects will be considered for merit calculation.
• The best-of-five method will not be used.
• There is no written examination.
• There is no viva / interview.
• Older candidates receive preference in case of equal Matriculation marks.
• If date of birth is also identical, the candidate who passed Matriculation earlier will receive preference.
• Document Verification will be conducted for shortlisted candidates.
• A prescribed Medical Fitness Certificate is compulsory.
• Candidates must upload all required documents online.
• No hard copy needs to be sent to RRC/BBS by post.
• Candidates must retain a printout of the submitted application.
• Aadhaar details are required during registration.
• Name, father's name and date of birth should match the Matriculation certificate.
• Applicants should carefully select the Division / Workshop because the choice is final.
• Requests for change of Trade, Division or Workshop after selection will not be entertained.
• No hostel accommodation will be provided during training.
• Monthly stipend will be paid according to applicable rules.
• Completion of apprenticeship does not guarantee regular Railway employment.
• No TA / DA will be provided for Document Verification.
• False information or forged documents can lead to rejection and further action.
• Canvassing in any form will result in disqualification.