Categories Include Technicians, Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Sub-Inspectors & Constable (RPF) and Assistant Loco Pilots, Boosting Employment
15,873 Candidates Empanelled for Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) Vacancies Notified in 2024
First Stage Computer Based Tests Completed in 9970 ALP Vacancies Notified in 2025; 11,127 Fresh ALP Vacancies Notified in 2026
Over 2,800 Locomotives Equipped with Waterless Urinals, Providing Better Working Conditions for Loco Pilots
Posted On: 27 MAR 2026 5:30PM by PIB Delhi
Loco Pilots are important members of Indian Railway family who play pivotal role for moving passenger and goods traffic in safe and efficient manner. Indian Railways is committed to ensure proper working conditions for loco pilots. Indian Railways recruit Assistant Loco Pilots on a regular basis considering the vacancy position. Keeping in view train operation and retirement of staff, new positions are opened up for recruitment.
Year
Details regarding recruitment for the post of Assistant Loco Pilots
2024
18,799 vacancies were notified. Selection process already completed and 15,873
candidates empanelled till date.
2025
9,970 vacancies were notified; First stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) have been
completed.
2026
11,127 vacancies as per Annual Calendar 2026 have been notified in March 2026.
Recruitment done in Indian Railways during 2004-05 to 2013-14 vis-à-vis during 2014-15 to 2025-26 is given as under: –
Period
Recruitments
2004-2005 to 2013-2014
4.11 lakh
2014-2015 to 2024-2025
5.08 lakh
2025-26 – till date
43,230
Occurrence and filling up of vacancies are continuous processes on 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.
The RRB examinations are quite technical in nature entailing large scale mobilization of men and resources and training of manpower. Railway overcame all these challenges and 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.
Further, as system improvement, the Ministry of Railways has introduced a system of publishing the Annual Calendar from 2024 for recruitment to various categories of Group ‘C’ posts. The introduction of the 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
Presently, recruitment against 1,54,213 vacancies of non-gazetted personnel has been taken up on Indian Railways as per Annual Calendar 2024, 2025 and 2026.
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/Single stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for 92,116 posts have been completed. Details are as under: –
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-SI (452 vacancies)
15,35,635
143
15
CBT for the post of RPF-Constable (4,208 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 Categories
(Graduate) (8,113 vacancies)
58,41,774
141
15
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories
(Under Graduate) (3,445 vacancies)
63,27,473
157
15
CBT for Ministerial & Isolated categories
(1,036 vacancies)
4,46,013
139
15
CBT for level-1 posts (32438 vacancies)
1,08,28,261
152
15
Total Candidates
3,58,59,270
2nd stage CBTs for the posts of ALP, JE/DMS/CMA and Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate & Under-Graduate) have also been completed. Details are as under: –
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 Categories (Graduate) (8,113 vacancies)
1,21,931
129
15
2nd Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under-Graduate) (3,445 vacancies)
51,978
79
15
Total Candidates
5,57,611
Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for the post of ALP and Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) and Computer based Skill Test for the post of Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate and Under Graduate) and Ministerial & Isolated Categories have also been completed. Details are as under: –
Exam
Candidates
Cities
Languages
CBAT for the post of ALP
1,32,044
84
2
Translation Test for Ministerial and Isolated
Categories
1,233
8
2
CBAT for the post of Non-Technical Popular
Categories (Graduate)
13,616
38
2
Computer Based Typing Skill Test (CBTST) for the post of Non-Technical Popular Categories
(Graduate-level)
30,341
58
2
Computer Based Typing Skill Test (CBTST) for the post of Non-Technical Popular
Categories (Under-Graduate-level)
13,145
44
2
Total Candidates
1,90,379
Panels for more than 43,000 candidates for various posts including the posts of Technicians, Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Sub-Inspectors & Constable (RPF) and Assistant Loco Pilots have been finalised. Majority of them are in safety categories.
In addition, as per Annual Calendar for the year 2025, nine Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 50,970 vacancies have also been issued. Details are as under:
CEN No.
Post Name
No. of Vacancies
notified
Month
of Notification
01/2025
Assistant Loco Pilots
9,970
March 2025
02/2025
Technician
6,238
June 2025
03/2025
Paramedical categories
434
July 2025
04/2025
Section Controller
368
August 2025
05/2025
Junior Engineer (JE)/ Depot Material Superintendent/Chemical &
Metallurgical Assistant
2,585
October 2025
06/2025
Non-Technical Popular
Categories (Graduate)
5,810
October 2025
07/2025
Non-Technical Popular
Categories (Under-Graduate)
3,058
October 2025
08/2025
Isolated Categories
312
December 2025
09/2025
Level-1 posts
22,195
December 2025
Total
50,970
First stage/Single stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for 19,595 posts have been completed. Details are as under: –
Exam
Candidates
Cities
Languages
1st Stage CBT for the post of ALP (9970 vacancies)
10,03,719
141
15
CBT for the post of Section Controller
(368 vacancies)
4,33,748
131
15
1st Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS/CMA
(2585 vacancies)
5,74,351
133
15
CBT for the post of Technician (6238 vacancies)
8,41,525
117
15
CBT for the post of Paramedical Categories
(434 vacancies)
3,19,396
106
15
Total Candidates
31,72,739
Waterless Urinals are being progressively provided in locomotives in a phased manner as per feasibility. As on 28.02.2026, more than 2800 locomotives have been provided with Urinals.
This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a reply to questions in Rajya Sabha today.
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