RRB Technician Recruitment 2026 – ITI & Diploma Holders 6557 Posts

The Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, have released the Technician Recruitment 2026 notification on 23.05.2026 at the official website rrb.indianrailways.gov.in. As per Centralised Employment Notification (CEN) No. 02/2026, the online application process begins from 30.06.2026 and closes on 29.07.2026 (23:59 hrs). RRB Technician Recruitment 2026 is for candidates seeking technician-level posts in Indian Railways, a central government sector known for long-term job stability.

RRBs have announced 6557 vacancies under CEN 02/2026, including Technician Grade-I Signal (323 posts) and 24 categories of Technician Grade-III (6234 posts) covering trades such as Fitter, Welder, Electrician, Diesel Mechanical, Carriage and Wagon, Track Machine, Machinist and Carpenter. Selected candidates will be posted across Zonal Railways and Production Units throughout India, depending on the RRB and zone chosen at the time of application. Candidates should read this article carefully and go through the official notification before applying.

Information verified from official Railway Recruitment Boards notification No. CEN 02/2026 dated 23.05.2026.

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Quick Summary of RRB Technician Recruitment 2026

About Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs)

Railway Recruitment Boards function under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, and conduct centralised recruitment for non-gazetted posts across Indian Railways. There are 21 RRBs located across the country, each handling vacancies for specific Zonal Railways and Production Units under its jurisdiction. For CEN 02/2026, a candidate selects one RRB per pay level and appears for a Computer Based Test conducted separately for each pay level. Detailed information on RRB locations and websites is available on the centralised portal rrb.indianrailways.gov.in. Check all the Indian Railway Recruitment News and Notifications here – Railway recruitments.

This is editorial context, not part of the official notification — confirm specifics with the hiring office. Compared to other central government technician-level recruitment cycles in 2024-25, the vacancy count of 6557 under CEN 02/2026 is higher than most recent SSC and PSU technical recruitment drives, several of which listed vacancies in the range of a few hundred to about two thousand posts. The qualification requirement of ITI or Course Completed Act Apprenticeship for most Technician Grade-III categories brings a wide pool of vocational training pass-outs into the applicant base, which is expected to keep competition high in trades with large vacancy counts such as Fitter (PU & WS) and Welder (PU & WS). Technician Grade-I Signal, which requires a science degree or engineering diploma, draws a comparatively narrower applicant pool given the higher qualification bar.

Important Dates

Candidates should track the dates below carefully. The notification states that requests for a change of CBT date, centre or shift will not be entertained under any circumstances, and the modification window opens immediately after the fee payment deadline closes.

Vacancy Details & Salary

Here’s the breakdown of posts, total vacancy and salary for your reference.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for Technician Grade-I Signal and Technician Grade-III include education and age requirements. Candidates should make sure they meet all the conditions before applying.

Educational Qualification

• Technician Grade-I Signal: B.Sc. in Physics, Electronics, Computer Science, Information Technology or Instrumentation from a recognized university, OR a three-year Diploma in Engineering in these streams, OR a Degree in Engineering in these streams.
• Technician Grade-III (most categories): Matriculation/SSLC plus ITI from an NCVT/SCVT-recognized institution in the relevant trade (Fitter, Welder, Electrician, Machinist, Carpenter and similar trades), OR Matriculation/SSLC plus Course Completed Act Apprenticeship (CCAA) in the relevant trade.
• Technician Grade-III (S & T): Matriculation/SSLC plus ITI in Electrician, Electronics Mechanic or Wireman trades, OR 10+2 with Physics and Mathematics.
• A Diploma or Degree in Engineering will not be accepted instead of ITI or Course Completed Act Apprenticeship for Technician Grade-III posts unless specified for that category.
• Trade-wise qualification details for all 25 post categories are listed in Annexure A of the official notification.

Age Limit

As on 01.07.2026, the age limit is 18 to 33 years for Technician Grade-I Signal and 18 to 30 years for Technician Grade-III posts.

• SC/ST candidates: 5 years relaxation
• OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) candidates: 3 years relaxation
• Ex-Servicemen: 3 years (UR/EWS), 6 years (OBC-NCL), 8 years (SC/ST), after deducting length of service from age
• Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD): 10 years (UR/EWS), 13 years (OBC-NCL), 15 years (SC/ST)
• Serving Group C and erstwhile Group D Railway staff with minimum 3 years’ service: up to 40 years (UR/EWS), 43 years (OBC-NCL), 45 years (SC/ST)
• Widowed, divorced or judicially separated women candidates: up to 35 years (UR/EWS), 38 years (OBC-NCL), 40 years (SC/ST)
• Course Completed Act Apprentices: relaxation equal to the apprenticeship period undergone, maximum 3 years

Selection Process

The recruitment process for CEN 02/2026 has three stages. A separate CBT is conducted for each pay level, and candidates must clear the Computer Based Test before being shortlisted for the next stage.

1. Computer Based Test (CBT) – 90 minutes, 100 questions, with negative marking of 1/3 mark for every wrong answer.
2. Document Verification (DV) – conducted RRB-wise at the rate of 1:1 of the vacancies, based on CBT merit.
3. Medical Examination (ME) – conducted by the Railway Administration as per the prescribed medical standards for each post.

The notification states that normalisation of marks will be applied for CBT sessions held in multiple shifts, and minimum qualifying marks vary by category: 40% for UR and EWS, 30% for OBC-NCL, 30% for SC and 25% for ST.

Application Fee

The application fee for CEN 02/2026 depends on the candidate’s category.

• General, OBC-NCL and EWS candidates: ₹500 (₹400 refunded, after deducting bank charges, on appearing in the CBT)
• SC, ST, Ex-Servicemen, PwBD, Female, Transgender, Minorities or Economically Backward Class (EBC) candidates: ₹250 (refunded after deducting bank charges, on appearing in the CBT)
• The fee must be paid separately for each pay level applied for.
• Fee is accepted online only, through internet banking, debit/credit card or UPI.

How to Apply for RRB Technician Recruitment 2026

Candidates can apply for CEN 02/2026 by following the steps below.

1. Visit the official website of the chosen RRB or the centralised portal rrb.indianrailways.gov.in.
2. Create an account using a valid personal mobile number and email ID. These details cannot be changed once the account is created.
3. Log in and fill the online application form with personal, educational and category details.
4. Capture a live photograph through webcam or mobile camera as per the specifications given in the notification.
5. Upload the scanned signature in JPG/JPEG format and the SC/ST certificate in PDF format, where applicable.
6. Choose one RRB for the pay level and enter post preferences for the notified Zonal Railways/PUs.
7. Pay the examination fee online through internet banking, debit/credit card or UPI.
8. Submit the application and note the registration number for future correspondence.

Documents Checklist Before You Leave Home:

• Scanned signature in JPG/JPEG format, black ink on white paper, in running handwriting, 30 KB to 49 KB
• SC/ST certificate in PDF format, under 400 KB, for candidates claiming free train travel
• Valid Aadhaar number or DigiLocker details for identity verification
• Active personal mobile number and email ID for OTP and all further communication
• Educational qualification certificates showing date of issue, for use at Document Verification

Important Links

Candidates applying for Technician Grade-I Signal and Technician Grade-III are advised to visit the important links below for the official PDF and application form:

Should You Apply?

Technician Grade-I Signal and Technician Grade-III under CEN 02/2026 suit candidates who hold ITI certification, Course Completed Act Apprenticeship, or a science or engineering background, and who fall within the 18-30 or 18-33 age bracket as applicable to the post. The recruitment fits candidates seeking entry-level government employment with a defined pay level and long-term service security in Indian Railways. Candidates who have not yet completed their qualification, or who are awaiting final results, are not eligible to apply, since the notification requires the qualification to be in hand on the closing date. Based on comparable RRB technician recruitment cycles, posts with vacancy counts above 500, such as Fitter (PU & WS) and Welder (PU & WS), tend to draw the highest number of applicants relative to seats, while smaller categories such as Crane Driver and Bridge typically see fewer applicants. After selection, technicians generally progress to higher technician grades and supervisory posts over a multi-year service period, a trajectory candidates should weigh against the notification’s condition that no transfer request is registered until five to ten years of service are completed.

FAQs — RRB Technician Recruitment 2026

What is the total number of vacancies in RRB CEN 02/2026?

RRBs have notified 6557 vacancies, comprising 323 posts for Technician Grade-I Signal and 6234 posts across 24 categories of Technician Grade-III.

What is the last date to apply for RRB Technician Recruitment 2026?

The online application window closes on 29.07.2026 at 23:59 hrs, and the fee payment deadline for submitted applications is 31.07.2026.

Can a candidate apply for both Technician Grade-I Signal and Technician Grade-III?

Yes. A separate application and separate examination fee are required for each pay level, since a separate CBT is conducted for each pay level.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sandeep Khati is the founder of India Job Alerts and a B.Tech in Computer Science from JGEC (2010). He started his career as a Systems Engineer at TCS and has been active in digital publishing since 2011, beginning with SearchDarjeeling.com(2011) and working as a web developer and designer at Darjeeling Informatics. Launched in April 2025, India Job Alerts is his most focused project — dedicated to publishing verified government and PSU job notifications for West Bengal, Sikkim, and All-India candidates. Every post is cross-checked against official notifications before publishing.. Know more

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