East Coast Railway Act Apprentice Recruitment 2026: Apply Online for 1,599 Apprentice Posts

By Bharatbhai Karanabhai Bela

Published On: August 27, 2026

East Coast Railway Act Apprentice Recruitment 2026: East Coast Railway (ECoR) has released a centralized notification for the engagement of Act Apprentices for the training year 2026–27. According to the notification, a total of 1,599 apprentice slots are available across various divisions, workshops and departments under East Coast Railway.

The notification, numbered ECoR/Pers/RRC/Act Apprentice/2026-27, was issued on 21 August 2026. The online application process will begin on 26 August 2026 at 5:00 PM and will remain open until 15 September 2026 at 5:00 PM. Eligible candidates can apply online through the Railway Recruitment Cell, Bhubaneswar website.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Recruitment 2026: Overview

Particular	Details
Recruiting Organisation	East Coast Railway (ECoR)
Recruitment Authority	Railway Recruitment Cell, Bhubaneswar (RRC/BBS)
Apprenticeship	Act Apprentice
Training Year	2026–27
Notification Number	ECoR/Pers/RRC/Act Apprentice/2026-27
Notification Date	21 August 2026
Total Apprentice Slots	1,599
Application Mode	Online
Application Start Date	26 August 2026
Application Start Time	5:00 PM
Last Date to Apply	15 September 2026
Application Closing Time	5:00 PM
Selection Basis	Merit based on Matriculation marks
Written Examination	Not conducted
Viva/Interview	Not conducted
Official Application Website	RRC/BBS website

The Railway has stated that applications must be submitted online only through the RRC/BBS website. Candidates are advised to apply well before the deadline rather than waiting until the final day.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Vacancy 2026-27

ECoR has notified 1,599 slots in different trades and locations. The vacancies include category-wise allocations for UR, SC, ST, OBC and EWS, along with horizontal reservation for PwBD and Ex-Servicemen (ESM). The notified slots are provisional and may increase or decrease according to the actual requirement of the administration.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Notification

Division/Workshop-wise Vacancy Details

Unit/Division	Department-wise/Unit Total	Total Slots
Carriage Repair Workshop, Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar	Mechanical + Electrical	250
RGDA Division	Engineering + Electrical + Medical	292
Khurda Road Division (ELS, Angul & IOH Depot)	Engineering + S&T + Electrical + Medical + Mechanical	773
Sambalpur Division (Coachin, BLGR)	Engineering + S&T + Electrical + Mechanical + Medical	262
Headquarters, East Coast Railway, Bhubaneswar	Personnel/Accounts/IT Cell + Medical	22
Grand Total		1,599

The unit-wise totals above are taken from Annexure A of the notification.

Category-wise Vacancy Break-up

Category	Vacancies
UR	633
SC	251
ST	116
OBC	435
EWS	164
PwBD	50
ESM	42
Total	1,599

The PwBD and ESM figures represent horizontal reservation within the overall 1,599 slots and are not additional vacancies.

Trade-wise Apprentice Vacancies

The notification provides vacancies by individual trade, department and unit. The principal trades notified include Fitter, Welder, Turner, Machinist, Electrician, Carpenter, Painter, Wireman, Plumber, Mason, Black Smith, Driller, Bridge Erector, Electronics Mechanic and others. Candidates should check the detailed Annexure A vacancy table before selecting their preferred unit, department and trade.

East Coast Railway Apprentice Eligibility Criteria 2026-27

Candidates should carefully check both the age and educational/technical qualifications before submitting the application.

Age Limit

Particular	Age Requirement
Minimum Age	15 years
Maximum Age	24 years
Age Cut-off Date	15 September 2026
SC/ST Relaxation	5 years in the upper age limit
OBC Relaxation	3 years in the upper age limit
PwBD Relaxation	10 years in the upper age limit
Ex-Servicemen	10 additional years plus the period of service rendered in the Defence Forces, plus 3 years, subject to the conditions specified in the notification

The age must be calculated as on 15 September 2026, the closing date of the application process.

Educational Qualification

Qualification	Requirement
Matriculation	Passed Class 10 under the 10+2 examination system
Minimum Marks	50% aggregate marks
Board	Recognised Board
Qualification Status	Qualification must have been passed by 21 August 2026, the date of issue of the notification

Candidates whose SSC/Class 10 or ITI results are still awaited as on the notification date are not eligible to apply. Candidates who have failed ITI should also not apply.

Technical Qualification

Candidates must possess an ITI certificate in the relevant trade, affiliated to NCVT/with the prescribed academic certification requirements under the Apprentices Act, 1961.

No.	Designated Trade / ITI Trade
1	Fitter
2	Welder
3	Turner
4	Machinist
5	Electrician
6	Carpenter
7	Painter (General)
8	Mechanic (Diesel) (TMO)
9	Secretarial Assistant (Stenography)
10	Black Smith
11	Driller
12	Bridge Erector
13	Sheet Metal Worker
14	Electronics Mechanic / Electronics Mechanic (TMO)
15	Wireman / Electrician
16	Mechanic Refrigeration & AC
17	Plumber
18	Draftsman (Civil)
19	Mechanic (Motor Vehicle)
20	Computer Operator & Programming Assistant
21	Laboratory Technician (Pathology)
22	Sarang
23	Grinder
24	Mason
25	Draftsman (Mechanic)

Special Qualification Requirements

Medical Laboratory Technician (Pathology): Candidates must have passed Class 12 under the 10+2 system with Physics, Chemistry and Biology and must have at least 50% marks in both Class 10 and Class 12.
Secretarial Assistant/Stenography: The candidate must possess the required National Trade Certificate (NTC) approved by NCVT/SCVT.
Computer Operator & Programming Assistant: The notification specifies basic training in the Information Technology sector under the Centre of Excellence scheme in the prescribed hardware/networking areas, along with the required NTC approved by NCVT/SCVT.
Engineering graduates and diploma holders are not eligible under this notification because they fall under a separate apprenticeship scheme.

Reservation Details

Category/Provision	Details
SC/ST	Reserved vacancies as notified
OBC	Reserved vacancies as notified
EWS	Reserved vacancies as notified
PwBD	4% horizontal reservation
Ex-Servicemen	3% horizontal reservation
SC/ST Interchange	SC and ST vacancies may be interchanged if eligible candidates are unavailable
Unfilled SC/ST	Remaining vacancies may be filled by UR candidates after the prescribed interchange
Unfilled OBC/EWS	Remaining vacancies may be filled by UR candidates

For EWS reservation, candidates must satisfy the prescribed income and asset conditions. The notification states that the family’s gross annual income must be below ₹8 lakh, along with the prescribed asset-related conditions. A valid Income and Asset Certificate is required.

Application Fee

Candidate Category	Fee
General/Other eligible candidates	₹100
SC	No fee
ST	No fee
PwBD	No fee
Women	No fee

The ₹100 application fee is non-refundable and must be paid online through the integrated payment gateway. Payment can be made through debit card, credit card, UPI, internet banking and other available online methods. Any applicable transaction charges have to be borne by the applicant.

Documents Required

Candidates should keep clear and legible copies of the required documents ready before starting the application.

Matriculation/Class 10 mark sheet and pass certificate.
Date-of-birth certificate, if the date of birth is not mentioned in the Matriculation certificate.
Consolidated ITI mark sheet for all semesters of the relevant trade, or a provisional National Trade Certificate indicating marks.
National Trade Certificate issued by NCVT or provisional Trade Certificate issued by NCVT/SCVT.
Caste Certificate for SC/ST/OBC candidates, wherever applicable.
Income and Asset Certificate for EWS candidates.
Disability Certificate for PwBD candidates.
Discharge Certificate or Serving Certificate for candidates applying under the Ex-Servicemen quota.
Certificate required for claiming fee exemption, wherever applicable.
Recent colour photograph.
Scanned signature.

Photograph and Signature Specifications

Document	Specification
Photograph	Recent colour photograph, clear front view
Photograph Size	3.5 cm × 3.5 cm
Photograph Format	JPG/JPEG
Photograph Resolution	100 DPI
Photograph File Size	20 KB to 70 KB
Photograph Age	Not older than 3 months from the date of application
Signature Size	3.5 cm × 3.5 cm
Signature Format	JPG/JPEG
Signature Resolution	100 DPI
Signature File Size	20 KB to 30 KB

Candidates must produce the original documents during Document Verification. Certificates in languages other than English or Hindi must be accompanied by an attested English/Hindi translation.

Medical Fitness

Candidates shortlisted for Document Verification must submit the prescribed Medical Fitness Certificate signed by a Government-authorised Gazetted doctor not below the rank of Assistant Surgeon from a Central or State Government hospital.

The notification also prescribes physical fitness and trade-specific disability standards. Candidates applying under the PwBD category should therefore check the applicable trade-wise requirements in the notification before applying.

Training and Stipend

Particular	Details
Training	Apprenticeship training under the applicable rules
Stipend	Paid at the prescribed rate during training
Hostel	No hostel accommodation will be provided
Accommodation	Apprentices must make their own arrangements
After Training	Apprentices will be released on completion of training

The exact stipend amount is not specified in the notification; it will be paid at the prescribed rate under the applicable rules and Railway Board directives.

Selection Procedure

The East Coast Railway Apprentice selection process is based on academic merit. There is no written examination or viva.

Selection Process in Steps

Online application: Candidates submit their applications through the RRC/BBS website.
Merit list: A merit list is prepared for each unit based on the percentage of marks obtained in Matriculation.
Calculation of marks: Marks obtained in all subjects are considered; the notification does not permit a “best of five” calculation.
Tie-breaking: If two candidates have the same marks, the older candidate gets preference. If their dates of birth are also the same, the candidate who passed Matriculation earlier gets preference.
Document Verification: Shortlisted candidates are called for verification of their original documents.
Medical Fitness: Final selection is subject to submission of the prescribed Medical Fitness Certificate and successful document verification.
Final selection: Candidates are selected against the relevant Unit–Department–Trade combination according to merit and the preference exercised in the application.

Candidates should also remember that discrepancies between the marks/CGPA entered in the application and the original certificates can result in rejection of candidature.

How to Apply for East Coast Railway Apprentice Recruitment 2026-27

Eligible candidates can follow these steps:

Visit the official RRC/BBS website: www.rrcbbs.org.in
Register for the East Coast Railway Act Apprentice recruitment.
Log in using the registration details.
Enter personal information, Aadhaar details, educational and ITI qualification details.
Enter Matriculation marks/CGPA carefully.
Select the relevant trade.
Select only one Division/Workshop. The option once exercised is final and binding.
Upload the photograph, signature and required certificates.
Pay the applicable ₹100 application fee online, if required.
Check all details carefully before making the payment because the notification states that no change/edit will be allowed after payment.
Submit the application.
Download and print the completed application form.
Preserve the Registration Number and application printout for future requirements.
If shortlisted, report for Document Verification with the original documents and prescribed Medical Fitness Certificate.

Important Points While Applying

Only one application is permitted.
Submitting multiple applications for the same trade can lead to disqualification.
Candidates must not change their registered mobile number or email ID during the recruitment process.
The name, father’s name and date of birth should exactly match the Matriculation/equivalent certificate.
Candidates must enter their Aadhaar number during registration. Those who have enrolled for Aadhaar but have not received the card may use the 28-digit Aadhaar Enrolment ID as specified in the notification.
Candidates with ITI qualifications in more than one trade may apply separately for each relevant trade, subject to the notification’s conditions.
No hard copies of the application or certificates need to be sent by post.
Candidates should retain a printout of the submitted application.

Reasons for Application Rejection

An application may be rejected for reasons including:

Missing scanned photograph.
Missing scanned signature.
Unclear, unsuitable or unacceptable photograph.
Not possessing the prescribed Matriculation or ITI qualification.
Missing documents required for age or fee relaxation.
Invalid proof of age.
Being over-aged or under-aged.
Incorrect or incomplete information.
Multiple applications for the same trade.
Failure to pay the applicable ₹100 fee.
Missing or illegible required annexures.
Any other irregularity considered invalid by RRC/BBS.

Important Points Candidates Should Know

Point	Details
Employment after Apprenticeship	Apprenticeship completion does not guarantee employment in Railways
Change of Trade	Not permitted after selection
Change of Division/Workshop	Not permitted after selection
Training Trade	Candidate will be trained only in the trade for which selected
Hostel	Not provided
TA/DA for DV	Not payable
Selection Agents	RRC/BBS has not appointed any agents
Selection Basis	Purely merit based
Legal Jurisdiction	Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Cuttack
Help Desk	7303484063
Help Desk Email	[email protected]

The notification specifically warns candidates against touts, job racketeers and fake websites and advises applicants to rely only on the official RRC/BBS website.