Indian Railways Completes Over 5.56 Lakh Recruitments Since 2014; Hiring Underway for 1.61 Lakh More Posts
Indian Railways has significantly accelerated its recruitment drive over the past decade, completing more than 5.56 lakh appointments since 2014 while launching recruitment for another 1.61 lakh vacancies under its Annual Recruitment Calendar for 2024, 2025 and 2026. The Ministry of Railways said the mission-mode hiring initiative is aimed at strengthening manpower across operational, technical and safety categories to meet the growing requirements of one of the world’s largest rail networks.
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said Indian Railways has introduced a transparent and predictable annual recruitment system that offers candidates more opportunities, ensures certainty in examinations and enables faster recruitment, training and appointments.
Recruitment Highest in More Than a Decade
According to the Ministry, Indian Railways recruited 5.53 lakh employees between 2014-15 and 2025-26, substantially higher than the 4.11 lakh recruitments made during 2004-05 to 2013-14. In addition, 3,396 appointments have already been completed during FY 2026-27 (up to June 30, 2026).
Railway Recruitment Comparison
| Period | Recruitments |
|---|---|
| 2004-05 to 2013-14 | 4.11 lakh |
| 2014-15 to 2025-26 | 5.53 lakh |
| 2026-27 (up to June 30, 2026) | 3,396 |
Overall, recruitment since 2014 has crossed 5.56 lakh appointments, reflecting the Railways’ continued focus on strengthening its workforce.
Recruitment is a Continuous Process
The Ministry stated that vacancies in Indian Railways arise continuously due to the vast size of the organisation, retirements, expansion of railway infrastructure, technological advancements, mechanisation and changing operational requirements.
Recruitment is carried out through Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and other recruitment agencies based on manpower requirements submitted by various railway zones and production units.
The government emphasized that the Railway Recruitment Board examinations involve one of the country’s largest computer-based recruitment exercises requiring extensive logistical planning, manpower deployment and technical infrastructure.
The Ministry also stated that no incident of question paper leakage or similar malpractice has occurred during the recruitment process, underscoring the transparency of the examination system.
Annual Recruitment Calendar Introduced
To make recruitment more predictable and candidate-friendly, the Ministry introduced an Annual Recruitment Calendar from 2024 covering various Group ‘C’ posts.
According to the Ministry, the calendar provides:
- Regular recruitment opportunities every year.
- Opportunities for newly eligible candidates.
- Certainty regarding examination schedules.
- Faster recruitment, training and appointment process.
Currently, recruitment is underway for 1,61,889 non-gazetted vacancies under the Annual Recruitment Calendar for 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Massive Recruitment Exercise Under Annual Calendar 2024
During January to December 2024, Indian Railways issued 10 Centralised Employment Notifications (CENs) covering 92,116 vacancies across multiple categories including:
- Assistant Loco Pilots (ALP)
- Technicians
- Junior Engineers
- Depot Material Superintendents
- Chemical & Metallurgical Assistants
- RPF Sub-Inspectors
- RPF Constables
- Paramedical Staff
- Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate & Undergraduate)
- Ministerial & Isolated Categories
- Level-1 posts such as Track Maintainers, Assistants and Pointsmen.
2024 Recruitment Notifications
| Category | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Assistant Loco Pilot | 18,799 |
| Technician | 14,298 |
| JE/DMS/CMA | 7,951 |
| RPF SI | 452 |
| RPF Constable | 4,208 |
| Paramedical | 1,376 |
| NTPC Graduate | 8,113 |
| NTPC Undergraduate | 3,445 |
| Ministerial & Isolated | 1,036 |
| Level-1 | 32,438 |
| Total | 92,116 |
Over 3.58 Crore Candidates Appeared
The recruitment drive witnessed unprecedented participation.
The first-stage or single-stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for all 92,116 vacancies were conducted successfully across 139 to 157 cities in 15 languages, ensuring nationwide accessibility.
2024 CBT Statistics
| Parameter | Figure |
|---|---|
| Vacancies | 92,116 |
| Candidates Appeared | 3,58,59,270 |
| Examination Cities | Up to 157 |
| Languages | 15 |
The largest examination was conducted for Level-1 posts, where over 1.08 crore candidates appeared for 32,438 vacancies.
Similarly, 63.27 lakh candidates appeared for NTPC Undergraduate posts, while 58.41 lakh candidates took the examination for NTPC Graduate vacancies.
Advanced Stages of Recruitment Completed
Indian Railways has also completed the second-stage CBTs for several major categories.
Second Stage CBT
| Category | Candidates |
|---|---|
| ALP | 2,66,363 |
| JE/DMS/CMA | 1,17,339 |
| NTPC Graduate | 1,21,931 |
| NTPC Undergraduate | 51,978 |
| Total | 5,57,611 |
In addition, Computer-Based Aptitude Tests (CBAT) and Typing Skill Tests were completed for relevant technical and non-technical categories involving 1,90,379 candidates.
More Than 3,300 Candidates Already Selected in 2026
The Ministry informed Parliament that during FY 2026-27 (up to June 30, 2026), selection panels for over 3,300 candidates have already been finalized.
These appointments include:
- Assistant Loco Pilots
- Technicians
- Junior Engineers
- Paramedical Staff
- Ministerial Categories
The Ministry noted that most of these appointments are in safety-related categories, which directly contribute to safer railway operations.
Recruitment Continues Under 2025 Calendar
Under the Annual Recruitment Calendar 2025, Indian Railways issued nine Centralised Employment Notifications covering 51,970 vacancies.
Major Vacancies Notified in 2025
| Category | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Assistant Loco Pilot | 10,970 |
| Technician | 6,238 |
| Paramedical | 434 |
| Section Controller | 368 |
| JE/DMS/CMA | 2,585 |
| NTPC Graduate | 5,810 |
| NTPC Undergraduate | 3,058 |
| Isolated Categories | 312 |
| Level-1 | 22,195 |
| Total | 51,970 |
The first-stage CBTs for 29,775 vacancies have already been completed.
Nearly 91 Lakh Candidates Appeared in 2025 Exams
The 2025 recruitment examinations also witnessed a massive response.
2025 Recruitment Examination Statistics
| Parameter | Figure |
|---|---|
| Candidates Appeared | 90,96,344 |
| Cities Covered | Up to 142 |
| Languages | 15 |
The second-stage CBTs for Junior Engineers and NTPC Graduate categories have also concluded, involving 1,26,351 candidates, while the Computer-Based Aptitude Test for Section Controller posts has also been completed.
Recruitment Begins for 2026 Vacancies
The Ministry has also initiated recruitment under the Annual Recruitment Calendar 2026.
2026 Notifications
| Category | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Assistant Loco Pilot | 11,127 |
| Technician | 6,557 |
| Section Controller | 119 |
| Total | 17,803 |
These notifications were issued between March and June 2026, ensuring continuity in the annual recruitment cycle.
Technology-Driven Recruitment
The Ministry highlighted that the Railway Recruitment Boards now conduct one of India’s largest technology-enabled recruitment exercises.
Key features include:
- Computer-Based Tests (CBTs)
- Multi-language examinations in 15 Indian languages
- Nationwide examination centres
- Computer-Based Aptitude Tests for specialized posts
- Skill and Typing Tests for applicable categories
- Transparent digital evaluation process
The Ministry reiterated that the entire recruitment process has been conducted transparently and securely without any reported incident of paper leakage.
Strengthening Railway Operations
Indian Railways stated that continuous recruitment is essential for maintaining operational efficiency as the network expands with new railway lines, electrification, modern signalling systems, high-speed corridors and advanced technologies such as Kavach.
A significant share of the ongoing recruitment is focused on safety-critical categories, including Assistant Loco Pilots, Track Maintainers, Technicians, Junior Engineers, Section Controllers and Railway Protection Force personnel.
The government believes that the Annual Recruitment Calendar has brought greater predictability to railway recruitment while reducing uncertainty for aspirants. With recruitment underway for over 1.61 lakh vacancies and more than 5.56 lakh appointments already completed since 2014, Indian Railways is undertaking one of the country’s largest public sector workforce expansion programmes to support its growing operations and future infrastructure development.
