South Western Railway (SWR) has released the General Departmental Competitive Examination (GDCE) Notification No. 01/2026 for eligible serving railway employees. The recruitment is being conducted for 258 vacancies under the 25% Direct Recruitment Quota for posts including Goods Train Manager and Junior Engineer. Eligible regular serving employees can submit their applications online from 9 November 2026 to 8 December 2026.
The recruitment is applicable to eligible serving employees of South Western Railway and the railway establishments specified in the notification. Selection will be based on a Computer Based Test (CBT) followed by document verification and medical examination, wherever applicable. The application fee is Nil.
Official Notification PDF: South Western Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026
South Western Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026 Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Organisation | South Western Railway |
| Recruitment | General Departmental Competitive Examination (GDCE) |
| Notification Number | 01/2026 (GDCE) |
| Advertisement Date | 28 October 2026 |
| Total Vacancies | 258 |
| Posts | Goods Train Manager and Junior Engineer |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Online Application Start Date | 9 November 2026 |
| Online Application Last Date | 8 December 2026 |
| Last Time to Apply | 11:59 PM |
| Application Fee | Nil |
| Selection Process | Computer Based Test, Document Verification and Medical Examination |
| Official Website | rrchubli.in / swr.indianrailways.gov.in |
South Western Railway GDCE Vacancy 2026
A total of 258 vacancies have been notified under the GDCE recruitment. The vacancies are distributed among Goods Train Manager and various Junior Engineer categories. The notification provides the community-wise break-up of vacancies for UR, OBC, SC, ST and PwBD categories.
| Post | Total Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Goods Train Manager | 247 |
| Junior Engineer / Civil | 2 |
| Junior Engineer / Electrical | 2 |
| Junior Engineer / Mechanical Workshop | 2 |
| Junior Engineer / S&T / Signal | 5 |
| Total | 258 |
South Western Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026 Eligibility
The GDCE recruitment is intended for eligible regular serving railway employees. Candidates must satisfy the prescribed service, educational qualification, age and other conditions mentioned in the notification.
Goods Train Manager
For the Goods Train Manager post, candidates must possess a Degree from a recognised University or its equivalent. The notification specifies the applicable medical standard as A-2.
Junior Engineer / Civil
Candidates applying for the Junior Engineer Civil post must possess the prescribed three-year Diploma in Civil Engineering or a combination of basic streams of Civil Engineering, or a relevant degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent qualification recognised by the Government. The prescribed medical standard is A-3.
Junior Engineer / Electrical
For the Junior Engineer Electrical post, candidates must possess the prescribed qualification in Electrical Engineering or allied electrical disciplines, including the specified three-year Diploma or relevant engineering degree/equivalent qualification. The applicable medical standard is A-3.
Junior Engineer / Mechanical Workshop
Candidates must possess the prescribed three-year Diploma in Mechanical Engineering or a combination of basic streams of Mechanical/Production/Automobile/Manufacturing/Mechatronics-related engineering disciplines, or the relevant engineering degree/equivalent qualification specified in the notification. The prescribed medical standard is C-1.
Junior Engineer / S&T / Signal
Candidates must possess the prescribed qualification in Electronics, Electrical, Communication, Information Technology, Computer Science or allied engineering disciplines, as specified for the post. The applicable medical standard is A-3.
South Western Railway GDCE Age Limit 2026
The upper age limit for the GDCE recruitment is 42 years for UR candidates. The notification provides relaxation for OBC and SC/ST candidates according to the prescribed rules.
| Category | Maximum Age |
|---|---|
| UR | 42 Years |
| OBC | 45 Years |
| SC/ST | 47 Years |
The age is to be reckoned as on 1 January 2026. The notification specifically states that no additional age relaxation is allowed to SC/ST/OBC-NCL candidates applying against unreserved vacancies.
South Western Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026 Medical Standards
| Post | Medical Standard |
|---|---|
| Goods Train Manager | A-2 |
| Junior Engineer / Civil | A-3 |
| Junior Engineer / Electrical | A-3 |
| Junior Engineer / Mechanical Workshop | C-1 |
| Junior Engineer / S&T / Signal | A-3 |
The prescribed medical standard is an important eligibility requirement. Candidates should ensure that they satisfy the medical standards applicable to the post before applying.
South Western Railway GDCE Application Fee 2026
There is no application fee for South Western Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026. The notification clearly mentions Application Fee: NIL.
South Western Railway GDCE Selection Process 2026
The recruitment process consists of a Computer Based Test (CBT) followed by Document Verification and Medical Examination, as applicable. The notification states that selection will be made strictly on merit.
- Computer Based Test (CBT)
- Document Verification
- Medical Examination
- Final Selection
The date of the examination will be notified separately through the Railway Recruitment Cell and communicated through the registered mobile number and email address of eligible candidates.
South Western Railway GDCE Exam Pattern 2026
The examination pattern differs according to the post. Goods Train Manager candidates will appear for a CBT of 100 questions for 100 marks, while the Junior Engineer examination consists of 100 questions for 100 marks with a longer examination duration.
Goods Train Manager CBT Pattern
| Subject | No. of Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 |
| Mathematics | 30 | 30 |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 30 | 30 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
The standard duration is 90 minutes. Eligible PwBD candidates accompanied by a scribe are provided 120 minutes. The question paper is objective type with multiple-choice questions.
Junior Engineer CBT Pattern
| Subject | No. of Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | 15 | 15 |
| Physics & Chemistry | 15 | 15 |
| Basics of Computers and Applications | 10 | 10 |
| Basics of Environment and Pollution Control | 10 | 10 |
| Technical Abilities | 50 | 50 |
| Total | 100 | 100 |
The Junior Engineer CBT has a duration of 120 minutes. For eligible PwBD candidates accompanied by a scribe, the duration is 160 minutes. The notification states that a virtual calculator will be available on the computer during the examination.
South Western Railway GDCE Negative Marking 2026
There will be negative marking in the CBT. 1/3 of the marks allotted to a question will be deducted for every wrong answer. Candidates should therefore answer questions carefully.
South Western Railway GDCE Syllabus 2026
Goods Train Manager Syllabus
The Goods Train Manager CBT covers General Awareness, Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning. The General Awareness section includes current affairs, Indian geography, culture and history of India, environmental issues, Indian polity and constitution, technological developments, sports, economics, scientific and technological developments and other areas mentioned in the notification.
The Mathematics section includes topics such as Number System, Decimals, Fractions, LCM, HCF, Ratio and Proportion, Percentage, Mensuration, Time and Work, Time and Distance, Simple and Compound Interest, Profit and Loss, Elementary Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and Elementary Statistics.
General Intelligence and Reasoning includes Analogies, Completion of Number and Alphabetical Series, Coding-Decoding, Mathematical Operations, Similarities and Differences, Relationships, Analytical Reasoning, Syllogism, Jumbling, Venn Diagrams, Data Sufficiency, Statement-Conclusion and Decision Making.
Junior Engineer Syllabus
The Junior Engineer CBT includes General Awareness, Physics and Chemistry, Basics of Computers and Applications, Basics of Environment and Pollution Control and Technical Abilities.
- General Awareness: Current affairs, Indian geography, culture and history, Indian polity, constitution, economy, environmental issues and scientific developments.
- Physics and Chemistry: Up to the 10th standard CBSE syllabus.
- Basics of Computers: Computer architecture, input/output devices, storage devices, networking, operating systems, Windows, Linux, MS Office, computer viruses, internet and email.
- Environment and Pollution Control: Basics of environment, environmental pollution, waste management, global warming, acid rain, ozone depletion and other environmental issues.
- Technical Abilities: Subject-specific engineering topics according to the candidate's applicable exam group.
Junior Engineer Technical Exam Groups
The notification provides a discipline-mapping table for the Junior Engineer examination. Candidates with different engineering diploma/degree disciplines are mapped to the applicable examination group.
| Exam Group | Major Disciplines |
|---|---|
| Mechanical and Allied Engineering | Mechanical, Production, Automobile, Manufacturing, Mechatronics, Tool & Die Making and allied disciplines |
| Electrical and Allied Engineering | Electrical and allied electrical engineering disciplines |
| Electronics and Allied Engineering | Electronics, Communication, Computer Science, IT and allied disciplines |
| Civil and Allied Engineering | Civil Engineering and allied civil engineering disciplines |
Candidates possessing more than one minimum educational qualification mapped to different exam groups can choose one exam group. They will be eligible for the posts for which they meet the relevant qualification.
South Western Railway GDCE Merit List 2026
The merit index for the recruitment is calculated using the candidate's relative score in the CBT. The notification provides a formula for calculating the merit index, taking into account the candidate's actual/raw marks and the maximum and minimum marks in the relevant examination group.
For the General category, the qualifying marks are 40%. The notification specifies relaxed qualifying standards for eligible reserved categories, including OBC, SC and ST candidates, as applicable.
South Western Railway GDCE Application Dates 2026
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Date | 28 October 2026 |
| Opening of Online Application | 9 November 2026 |
| Closing of Online Application | 8 December 2026 |
| Last Time to Apply | 11:59 PM |
| CBT Date | WILL ANNOUNCE |
| Admit Card | WILL ANNOUNCE |
The notification confirms that online applications will open on 9 November 2026 and close on 8 December 2026 at 11:59 PM. The examination date will be notified separately.
How to Apply for South Western Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026
Eligible railway employees have to submit their applications online through the official South Western Railway/Railway Recruitment Cell website.
- Visit the official South Western Railway or RRC Hubballi website.
- Open the GDCE Recruitment 2026 online application link.
- Read the notification and confirm that you satisfy the eligibility conditions.
- Log in/register using the required employee details.
- Fill in the application form carefully.
- Select the eligible post and applicable exam group/post preference.
- Enter the required educational and service details.
- Upload the required photograph, signature and certificates.
- Review all details carefully before final submission.
- Submit the online application.
- Take a printout/save the submitted application for future reference.
The notification states that applications must be submitted online and that employees should carefully follow the instructions available on the official website. Applications sent by any other mode will not be accepted.
Documents Required for South Western Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026
Candidates should keep the required documents ready while submitting the online application. These include:
- Recent passport-size photograph
- Signature
- Educational qualification certificates/marksheets
- Degree/Diploma certificate, as applicable
- Category certificate, where applicable
- PwBD certificate, where applicable
- Other required service/eligibility documents
The notification specifically requires candidates to upload educational/degree/diploma certificates and other applicable documents.
South Western Railway GDCE 2026 Eligibility Conditions
- The recruitment is for eligible serving railway employees covered by the notification.
- Candidates must satisfy the required educational qualification for the selected post.
- Employees working in eligible lower-level posts may apply for the notified higher-level posts subject to the prescribed conditions.
- Eligible staff working in the specified levels may apply for the corresponding GDCE vacancies.
- PwBD employees are eligible for applicable posts other than the posts specifically excluded under the notification.
- Only one application can be submitted by each eligible employee.
- Employees can indicate preferences for posts/categories as permitted in the application.
- Eligibility will be checked with reference to the prescribed cut-off date and service conditions.
The notification also states that eligible employees must ensure that their service records and educational qualifications are correctly reflected in the relevant systems before applying.
South Western Railway GDCE 2026 Important Instructions
- Only one application is permitted for each eligible employee.
- Multiple applications may result in disqualification.
- Applications must be submitted before 11:59 PM on 8 December 2026.
- Incomplete applications will be rejected.
- Candidates must upload the required certificates and photograph in the prescribed format.
- Changes to the application after final submission may not be permitted.
- The examination centre allotted by the Railway Recruitment Cell will not normally be changed.
- Candidates must download and carry the e-Admit Card for the CBT.
- Mobile phones, pagers, calculators and other prohibited electronic devices are not allowed in the examination hall.
- Candidates must follow the instructions displayed on the computer terminal during the CBT.
- Selection will be strictly on merit subject to fulfilment of all eligibility and medical requirements.
The notification states that candidature can be rejected at any stage if the candidate is found ineligible or has furnished false or incorrect information.
South Western Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026 Official Website
Candidates can check the official recruitment notification, online application link, admit card updates and other GDCE-related information through the official South Western Railway/Railway Recruitment Cell websites.
