NEW DELHI: The Railways has provided 5.08 lakh jobs in the last 11 years, Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has said, adding that the recruitment process is on for 1,20,579 vacancies notified in 2024 and 2025.
Vaishnaw informed this in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.
Filling up of vacancies are continuous processes in Indian Railways considering its size, spatial distribution and criticality of operation. Adequate and suitable manpower is provided to cater to the regular operations, changes in technology, mechanisations and innovative practices. The vacancies are filled up primarily by placement of indents by Railways with Recruitment agencies as per operational and technological requirements, he said.
Presently, the recruitment of 1,20,579 vacancies has been taken up as per the annual calendar 2024 and 2025.
During January to December 2024, ten Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 92,116 vacancies were notified for filling up of posts of Assistant Loco Pilots (ALPs), Technicians, Sub-Inspectors, Constables in Railway Protection Force (RPF), Junior Engineers (JEs)/ Depot Material Superintendent (DMS)/ Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (CMA), Paramedical Categories, Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate), Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under-Graduate), Ministerial & Isolated Categories and Level-1 categories such as Assistants, Track Maintainers and Pointsman.
First stage or single stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for 59,678 posts has been completed.
| Exam | Candidates | Cities | Languages |
| 1st Stage CBT for the post of ALP (18,799 vacancies) | 18,40,347 | 156 | 15 |
| CBT for the post of Technician (14,298 vacancies) | 26,99,892 | 139 | 15 |
| 1st Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies) | 11,01,266 | 146 | 15 |
| CBT for the post of RPF-Constable (4208 vacancies) | 45,30,288 | 147 | 15 |
| CBT for Paramedical Categories (1,376 vacancies) | 7,08,321 | 143 | 15 |
| 1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Category (Graduate)
(8,113 vacancies) |
58,41,774 | 141 | 15 |
| 1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Category (Under Graduate) (3,445 vacancies) | 63,27,473 | 157 | 15 |
| CBT for Ministerial & Isolated categories (1,036 vacancies) | 4,46,013 | 139 | 15 |
The second stage CBTs for the posts of ALP, JE/DMS/CMA and Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) have also been completed.
| Exam | Candidates | Cities | Languages |
| 2nd Stage CBT for the post of ALP (18,799 vacancies) | 2,66,363 | 112 | 15 |
| 2nd Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies) | 1,17,339 | 118 | 15 |
| 2nd Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Category (Graduate) (8,113 vacancies) | 1,21,931 | 129 | 15 |
Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for the post of ALP has also been completed.
| Exam | Candidates | Cities | Languages |
| CBAT for the post of ALP
(18,799 vacancies) |
1,32,044 | 84 | 2 |
The CBT for 32,438 vacancies for level -1 categories commenced from November 27, 2025 in 140 cities in 15 languages. Physical Efficiency Test (PET) for 4,208 vacancies of Constable (RPF) commenced from November 13, the Minister said.
Panels for more than 23,000 candidates for various posts including the posts of Technicians, Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Sub-Inspectors (RPF) and Assistant Loco Pilots have been finalised. The majority of them are in safety categories.
In addition, as per Annual Calendar for the year 2025, seven Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 28,463 vacancies have also been issued.
| SN | CEN No. | Post Name | No. of Vacancies notified | Month of Notification |
| 1 | 01/2025 | Assistant Loco Pilots | 9,970 | March 2025 |
| 2 | 02/2025 | Technicians | 6,238 | June 2025 |
| 3 | 03/2025 | Para-medical | 434 | July 2025 |
| 4 | 04/2025 | Section Controllers | 368 | August 2025 |
| 5 | 05/2025 | Junior Engineers / Depot Material Superintendent | 2,585 | October 2025 |
| 6 | 06/2025 | NTPC (Graduate) | 5,810 | October 2025 |
| 7 | 07/2025 | NTPC (Under-Graduate) | 3,058 | October 2025 |
The RRB examinations are quite technical in nature entailing large scale mobilisation of men and resources and training of manpower.
The Railway successfully conducted the recruitment in a transparent manner following all laid down guidelines. No instance of paper leakage or similar malpractice has occurred during the entire process.
Recruitment during 2004-2005 to 2013-2014
| Period | Recruitments |
| 2004-2005 to 2013-2014 | 4.11 lakhs |
| 2014-2015 to 2024-2025 | 5.08 lakhs |
Further, the Ministry of Railways has introduced a system of publishing an annual calendar from 2024 for recruitment to various categories of Group ‘C’ posts. The introduction of annual calendar is benefitting the aspirants in the following manner.
More opportunities for candidates
Opportunities to those becoming eligible every year
Certainty of exams
Faster Recruitment process, Training and Appointments
In exigencies of work, contractual engagement is resorted to as a stop-gap arrangement till regular incumbents join the posts. Such contractual engagement is purely temporary and time-bound, and is undertaken only to ensure smooth functioning of Railway operations until posts are filled through regular selection as per extant rules and procedures.
Engagement on contract basis is purely contractual in nature and does not confer any right upon such personnel for regular employment, absorption, or continuance in Railway service. Since contractual engagement is carried out only to meet urgent operational requirements, there is no provision for regularisation of such contractual staff in Indian Railways.