Western Railway Apprentice Recruitment 2025-26 – Complete Guide (5,349 Posts)

The Railway Recruitment Cell (RRC), Western Railway has officially released a centralized notification for the engagement of Act Apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961. Notification No. RRC/WR/04/2025 Apprentice, dated 18 February 2026, invites online applications for a massive 5,349 apprenticeship slots across 19 designated trades at various Divisions and Workshops under Western Railway for the year 2025–26. Online applications are open from 21 February 2026 to 23 March 2026.

This is one of the largest Railway apprenticeship drives in recent times — an excellent opportunity for ITI pass candidates (Class 10 with minimum 50%) who want hands-on technical training in one of the world’s largest railway networks. What makes this particularly valuable is the future career angle: after completing the apprenticeship and obtaining the National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC), you become eligible for 20% preference in direct recruitment to Railway Level-1 posts (Pay Scale ₹18,000–₹56,900). At jobsarkariupdate, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about this recruitment in complete detail.

Organization and Recruitment Overview

Western Railway is one of the 18 zones of Indian Railways, headquartered in Mumbai. Its jurisdiction spans Mumbai, Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Bhavnagar divisions along with multiple workshops. This apprenticeship notification covers all these divisions and workshops under a single centralized process. Here are the key facts:

This is a training engagement, not a permanent job — it’s important to understand this distinction. After successfully completing the one-year training, apprentices receive a Certificate of Proficiency from the National Council for Training in Vocational Trades (NCVT), which then opens doors to Railway direct recruitment preference and broader employment opportunities in the industry.

Important Dates – Western Railway Apprentice 2026

Application Fee

The application fee for Western Railway Apprentice 2025-26 is nominal and several categories are fully exempted. Importantly, unlike most government recruitments, Women candidates are also exempt from the fee.

Payment must be made online through the payment gateway on the RRC-WR website using Debit Card, Credit Card, UPI, or Internet Banking. The fee is non-refundable. After successful payment, you will be redirected to download the application form. If you face payment issues (e.g., internet disconnection after fee deduction), use the “Verify Payment” button on the portal before attempting to pay again.

Age Limit – Western Railway Apprentice 2026

Age is calculated as on the closing date i.e., 23 March 2026. The general age bracket is 15 to 24 years.

The Ex-Servicemen age relaxation requires completion of minimum 6 months continuous service in Defence Forces. This relaxation does NOT apply to Ex-Servicemen who have already secured employment in a civil post under the Government after availing Ex-Servicemen benefits. Children of deceased/disabled Ex-Servicemen, children of serving Jawans/Officers are also eligible under the Ex-Servicemen quota.

Eligibility Criteria – Educational and Technical Qualification

All qualifications must have been completed and results declared on or before 18 February 2026 (the date of notification issuance). Candidates whose SSC or ITI results are still awaited as of this date are NOT eligible to apply.

Educational Qualification

Candidates must have passed Matriculation (Class 10) under the 10+2 system with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks from a recognized Board. This is a hard minimum — candidates with less than 50% in Matriculation are not eligible regardless of their ITI marks.

Technical Qualification (ITI)

Candidates must hold an ITI certificate in the relevant trade, affiliated to NCVT. The table below lists all 19 designated apprenticeship trades and their corresponding ITI qualifications:

Vacancy Details – Trade-wise and Division-wise Breakdown

The total 5,349 apprenticeship slots are spread across 19 trades, 6 Railway Divisions (BCT, BRC, ADI, RTM, RJT, BVP), and 7 Workshops (PL Workshop, MX Workshop, BVP Workshop, DHD Workshop, PRTN Workshop, SBI Engineering Workshop, SBI Signal Workshop) plus the Headquarters Office. Vacancy numbers are provisional and may increase or decrease based on actual needs.

Trade-wise Total Vacancy Summary

Category-wise Reservation (Grand Total)

Division-wise Grand Total

Note that 4% of total slots are reserved for PwBD and 3% for Ex-Servicemen. These are included within the overall 5,349 slots and are not additional. Candidates can apply for only ONE division/workshop per trade. If you hold ITI in more than one trade, you may apply separately for each trade.

Selection Process – No Written Test, Pure Merit

The selection for Western Railway Apprentice 2025-26 is entirely merit-based. There is no written test, no physical test, and no viva voce. Your selection depends entirely on your academic marks.

Merit Calculation Formula

The merit list is prepared by taking the average of the percentage of marks in Matriculation and ITI, with equal weightage (50:50) to both. The formula is: Merit Score = (SSC% + ITI%) ÷ 2.

Important Mark Calculation Rules

For SSC/Matriculation marks, you must include ALL subjects listed on your marksheet — optional, additional, and alternate subjects included. The calculation must NOT use the “best of five” approach. If you have a CGPA, convert it to percentage before entering. For ITI marks, use the average marks from the consolidated marksheet covering all semesters of the applied trade as stated in the NCVT Provisional National Trade Certificate.

Tie-Breaking Rule

If two candidates score the same marks, the older candidate is given priority. If dates of birth are also identical, the candidate who passed the Matriculation examination earlier gets priority.

Document Verification (DV) and Medical Fitness

Shortlisted candidates are called for Document Verification at the respective Division/Workshop at short notice. Along with original documents and two self-attested photocopies, candidates must submit a Medical Fitness Certificate (Annexure-G) signed by a Gazetted Government Doctor not below the rank of Assistant Surgeon from a Central or State Government Hospital. No additional documents will be accepted at the time of DV that were not uploaded online.

Training Period and Stipend

The apprenticeship training period is one year. During this period, selected apprentices are paid a monthly stipend as per the rates prescribed under the Apprentices Act, 1961 and Railway Board directives. The specific stipend amount is revised periodically and is governed by extant Railway Board rules at the time of training commencement.

Important clarification: Apprenticeship training under the Apprentices Act does NOT guarantee a Railway job. It is a structured skill-building program. However, after earning the National Apprenticeship Certificate, you gain a genuine competitive advantage in Railway Level-1 direct recruitment with 20% preference quota — making this training a valuable stepping stone for a long-term Railway career.

How to Apply – Step-by-Step Guide

The application process is entirely online at the RRC-WR website. There is no offline or postal mode. Follow these steps carefully:

Step 1 – Check Eligibility Thoroughly

Before you begin, verify: (a) You have passed SSC with minimum 50% aggregate — calculated including ALL subjects, not best of five; (b) You have a valid ITI certificate in a trade matching the apprenticeship trade you’re applying for; (c) Your results were declared on or before 18 February 2026; (d) You are within the eligible age range for your category as on 23 March 2026; (e) You are NOT an Engineering graduate or Diploma holder.

Step 2 – Prepare Your Aadhaar Card

Aadhaar is mandatory. You must enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number at the time of registration. If you’ve enrolled but not received your Aadhaar card yet, you may use the 28-digit Aadhaar Enrolment ID from the Aadhaar Enrolment Slip. At Document Verification, original Aadhaar Card must be produced.

Step 3 – Prepare Documents for Upload

Gather and scan the following before starting the application form:

Step 4 – Fill the Online Application Form

Visit rrc-wr.com and register. Enter your personal details, Aadhaar number, trade, marks/CGPA (converted to percentage), and choice of Division/Workshop. Enter your SSC marks carefully using ALL subjects — not “best of five.” Enter ITI marks as the average across all semesters. These marks determine your merit rank entirely.

Step 5 – Choose Your Division/Workshop

You can choose only ONE Division or Workshop per trade. This choice is final and cannot be changed after submission. Before choosing, check Annexure A of the notification to verify that the specific trade has vacancies in your desired Division/Workshop for your category. BCT (Mumbai Central) and ADI (Ahmedabad) have the highest number of slots — 1,332 and 1,073 respectively.

Step 6 – Pay Fee and Submit

Pay ₹100 fee (if applicable) through the integrated payment gateway. After successful payment, download and retain a printout of your application form. You may need to produce this whenever requested by the Railway Administration.

Important Instructions for Applicants

Expert Tips for Western Railway Apprentice 2025 Applicants

Tip 1 – Maximize Your Merit Score: Since selection is purely merit-based (average of SSC% and ITI%), improving even one component significantly helps. If your SSC marks are lower, a strong ITI percentage will compensate. Make sure you’re calculating both correctly before entering them online.

Tip 2 – Choose Your Division Strategically: Don’t just pick the nearest division — check the actual vacancy count for your specific trade and category in each division. ADI (Ahmedabad) and BCT (Mumbai) have the most slots overall, but for specific trades like Mechanic Diesel, ADI has 136 slots vs BCT’s 50 — a significantly lower competition ratio per vacancy.

Tip 3 – Verify Certificate Alignment: Your name, father’s name, and DOB on the online form must exactly match your Matriculation certificate. Even a minor spelling variation — like “Ramesh” vs “Ramesh Kumar” — can lead to disqualification at DV. Check this before submitting.

Tip 4 – Apply for Multiple Trades If Eligible: If you hold ITI qualifications in more than one trade, you can submit separate applications for each relevant trade. For example, an Electrician ITI holder can apply for both Electrician and Wireman apprenticeship (since Wireman accepts Electrician ITI). This improves your chances of getting a slot somewhere.

Tip 5 – Get the Medical Certificate Ready in Advance: The Medical Fitness Certificate (Annexure-G) must be from a Gazetted Government Doctor not below Assistant Surgeon rank at a Central/State Government Hospital. This can take time to arrange, especially if you live far from a government hospital. Start this process early so it’s ready when your DV call comes at short notice.

Tip 6 – Keep the NAC in Mind for Your Future: The real long-term value of this apprenticeship is the National Apprenticeship Certificate from NCVT. With NAC in hand, you get a reserved 20% preference in Railway Level-1 direct recruitment (Pay ₹18,000–₹56,900) through RRB/RRC. Take the one-year training seriously — it is your stepping stone to a permanent Railway career.

Tip 7 – Avoid Touts and Fake Websites: Several fake websites mimicking RRC-WR appear during Railway recruitment drives. Apply ONLY at rrc-wr.com. RRC Western Railway has not appointed any agents. Any promise of “guaranteed selection” for money is a fraud — report such individuals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Western Railway Apprentice 2025