East Coast Railway Act Apprentice Recruitment 2026-27

East Coast Railway (ECoR) has released the Centralized Notification for engagement of Act Apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961 for the year 2026-27. The Railway Recruitment Cell, ECoR/Bhubaneswar (RRC/BBS) is the nodal agency for this recruitment. Candidates who have passed Matriculation (Class X) with the required marks and hold an ITI certificate in the relevant trade can apply online during the notified dates.

This recruitment drive aims to fill 1599 apprenticeship slots across various trades at ECoR Divisions, Workshops, and Headquarters. The online application process starts on 2026-08-26 and remains open until 2026-09-15. Applications are submitted online through the official RRC/BBS website, and selection is based purely on a merit list prepared from Matriculation marks (no written test or interview). Document verification is conducted at the Headquarters of East Coast Railway, and final selection is subject to verification of original documents and medical fitness.

Important Dates

Vacancy Details

East Coast Railway has announced 1599 apprenticeship slots across designated trades such as Fitter, Welder, Turner, Machinist, Electrician, Carpenter, Painter, and several others. The slots are distributed across the Carriage Repair Workshop (Mancheswar), RGDA Division, Khurda Road Division, Sambalpur Division, and ECoR Headquarters, Bhubaneswar.

Category-wise Break-up (Grand Total)

Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

Candidates must have passed Matriculation (Class X) under the 10+2 system with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks from a recognized board. The recruitment notification indicates that the merit list is prepared based on Matriculation marks, considering all subjects in the mark sheet.

Age Limit

Applicants should be between 15 and 24 years as on the closing date of the application, i.e., 2026-09-15. Age relaxation is available as follows: SC/ST candidates get relaxation of 5 years; OBC candidates get relaxation of 3 years; PwBD candidates get relaxation of 10 years. Ex-Servicemen candidates are eligible for relaxation of 10 years plus service rendered in Defence Forces, along with 3 additional years, with the condition that the candidate must have at least 6 months continuous service in the Defence Forces.

Application Fee

The application fee is 100 (INR) and is exempted for SC, ST, PwBD, and Women candidates. The fee is to be paid online through the integrated payment gateway during the application process.

How to Apply

1. Go to the official RRC/BBS website: www.rrcbbs.org.in and find the link for the Centralized Notification for Act Apprentice engagement.
2. Register using a valid personal email ID and mobile number. Save your Registration Number for future reference.
3. Log in and complete the application by entering personal details, trade preference, Aadhaar number, and Matriculation marks/CGPA. Also select the Division/Workshop preference carefully.
4. Upload the required scanned photograph, signature, and all supporting documents in the format and specifications prescribed in the notification.
5. Review the entered information carefully. After fee payment, no changes or edits are allowed.
6. Pay the application fee online (if applicable) using the integrated payment gateway options such as Debit Card, Credit Card, UPI, or Internet Banking.
7. After payment is confirmed, download the submitted application form and take a printout for your records. There is no requirement to send any hard copy to RRC/BBS by post.

Salary & Pay Scale

Selected candidates will undergo apprenticeship training as per the Apprentices Act, 1961 and will be paid a monthly stipend at the prescribed rate during the training period, as per extant rules and directives issued by the Railway Board. The exact stipend amount is not specified in the provided notification text.

Selection Process

Selection for ECoR Apprentice Recruitment 2026-27 will be made purely on merit, without any written test or interview. A merit list will be prepared based on the percentage of marks obtained in Matriculation, subject to the minimum of 50% aggregate marks, considering all subjects in the mark sheet. In case of a tie, preference is given to the older candidate; if the date of birth is also the same, the candidate who passed Matriculation earlier is given priority. Shortlisted candidates will be called for Document Verification (DV) at the Headquarters of East Coast Railway, based on merit and the order of preference of Unit-Department-Trade exercised in the application. Final selection depends on verification of original documents and submission of a Medical Fitness Certificate signed by a Government-authorized (Gazetted) doctor. A standby list may also be used to issue call letters in order of merit when vacancies arise due to absenteeism, medical unfitness, or rejection of candidates.

Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements should complete their online application before the closing date of 2026-09-15 (17:00 hrs) to avoid last-minute issues.