The Railway Recruitment Cell, Northern Railway (RRC NR) has released the official notification for the engagement of 4,651 Act Apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961, for the training year 2026-27. The notification, numbered RRC/NR/03/2026/Act Apprentice and dated 6 November 2026, covers 42 trades across six clusters — Lucknow, Delhi, Ambala, Firozpur, Moradabad and Jammu. The online application window opens on 11 November 2026 and closes on 11 December 2026 at 11:59 PM. Candidates who have passed Class 10 with at least 50% marks and hold an ITI certificate in the relevant trade can apply online at rrcnr.org.
There is no written examination and no interview in this recruitment. Selection is made purely on a merit list prepared from the candidate’s Class 10 and ITI marks, followed by document verification and a medical fitness certificate. This makes it one of the largest no-exam railway opportunities of the year for ITI holders — but candidates should read the notification carefully before applying, because the rules are strict: only one application per candidate, no change is allowed after final submission, and applying to a cluster or unit where no slot exists for your trade leads to outright rejection without a fee refund.
One thing must be stated clearly at the start. This is an apprenticeship training engagement, not a regular railway job. The notification says plainly that imparting training in the Railway will not confer any right on the candidates for absorption in the Railway after the training is completed. Candidates should apply for the training and the skills it offers, not in the expectation of a permanent railway appointment.
RRC NR Apprentice Recruitment 2026 Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Recruiting body | Railway Recruitment Cell, Northern Railway (RRC NR), New Delhi |
| Notification number | RRC/NR/03/2026/Act Apprentice |
| Notification date | 6 November 2026 |
| Post name | Act Apprentice (42 trades), training year 2026-27 |
| Total slots | 4,651 (provisional — may increase or decrease) |
| Clusters | Lucknow, Delhi, Ambala, Firozpur, Moradabad, Jammu |
| Application mode | Online only, at www.rrcnr.org |
| Application dates | 11 November 2026 to 11 December 2026 (11:59 PM) |
| Qualification | Class 10 with minimum 50% marks + ITI in the relevant trade (NCVT/SCVT) |
| Age limit | 15 to 24 years as on 11 December 2026 |
| Application fee | Rs. 100 (SC/ST/PwBD/Women: no fee) |
| Selection process | Merit list from Class 10 + ITI marks, then Document Verification and medical fitness |
| Written exam / interview | None |
| Merit list (expected) | February 2027 |
| Stipend and training period | As per extant rules applicable (no fixed amount stated in the notification) |
| Official website | www.rrcnr.org |
RRC NR Apprentice Vacancy Details 2026
RRC Northern Railway has announced 4,651 Act Apprentice slots across six clusters. The Lucknow cluster alone accounts for 1,525 slots — almost a third of the total — followed by Delhi with 1,312. The full cluster-wise and category-wise break-up, taken from Annexure A of the official notification, is as follows:
| Cluster | UR | SC | ST | OBC | Total Slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucknow (LKO) | 774 | 229 | 112 | 410 | 1,525 |
| Delhi (DLI) | 668 | 198 | 94 | 352 | 1,312 |
| Ambala (UMB) | 501 | 144 | 72 | 262 | 979 |
| Firozpur (FZR) | 442 | 169 | 12 | 117 | 740 |
| Moradabad (MB) | 32 | 9 | 6 | 16 | 63 |
| Jammu | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 32 |
| Total | 2,433 | 755 | 300 | 1,163 | 4,651 |
The slot count is provisional and may increase or decrease when the selection is finalised. The figures include the PwBD and Ex-Servicemen slots. The 42 trades include Fitter, Electrician, Welder and other workshop trades, distributed trade-wise across the divisions, units and workshops of each cluster. Candidates must check the trade-wise slots in Annexure A of the notification against their own ITI trade before applying — if you apply to a cluster or unit where no slot exists for your trade, the application is summarily rejected and the fee is not refunded.
RRC NR Apprentice Important Dates 2026
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification published | 6 November 2026 |
| Online application begins | 11 November 2026 |
| Qualification cut-off date | 6 November 2026 |
| Last date to apply online and pay the fee | 11 December 2026 (11:59 PM) |
| Merit list display (expected) | February 2027 |
The last date to submit the online application is 11 December 2026 at 11:59 PM. RRC has made it clear that it will not take responsibility if a candidate cannot submit the form on the final day because the website is overloaded, so candidates should not wait until the last week. With 4,651 slots open to ITI holders across the country, a last-day rush on the portal is predictable.
RRC NR Apprentice Eligibility Criteria 2026
Educational qualification: Candidates must have passed SSC / Matriculation / Class 10 (under the 10+2 examination system) with a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate from a recognised Board, and must have passed ITI in the relevant trade issued by NCVT/SCVT and recognised by the Government of India. Both qualifications are checked as on the date the notification was issued — 6 November 2026.
Result-awaited candidates cannot apply. If your Class 10 or ITI result was still awaited on 6 November 2026, you are not eligible for this cycle, even if the result comes out before the last date. Only candidates who had already passed both qualifications by 6 November 2026 can apply.
Age limit: As on the closing date, 11 December 2026, candidates should have completed 15 years of age and should not have completed 24 years of age. The upper age limit is relaxed as follows:
| Category | Upper Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| OBC | 3 years |
| PwBD | 10 years |
| Ex-Servicemen | Up to 10 additional years — the extent of service rendered in the Defence Forces plus 3 years, provided they have put in a minimum of 6 months of service at a stretch |
Medical fitness: Candidates must meet the physical fitness standards prescribed under the Apprentices Act, 1961 and the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992 for the trade they apply to. At Document Verification, candidates will need a medical fitness certificate signed by a Government authorised doctor, not below the rank of Assistant Surgeon of a Central or State hospital. PwBD candidates should apply only against slots notified for their type of disability in their trade.
RRC NR Apprentice Application Fee 2026
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General / Unreserved / OBC / EWS and others | Rs. 100 (non-refundable) |
| SC / ST / PwBD / Women | No fee |
The Rs. 100 fee is paid online only, as part of the application process. RRC will not accept cash, cheque, money order, IPO, demand draft or central recruitment fee stamps. If an online payment stays incomplete or pending for any reason, the notification tells candidates to make a fresh payment transaction — an unpaid form is an invalid form.
RRC NR Apprentice Selection Process 2026
There is no exam hall and no interview panel in this recruitment. The process has three stages: screening and scrutiny of applications, a merit list, and then Document Verification with the medical fitness certificate.
How the merit is calculated: The merit list takes the average of the percentage marks scored in Matriculation/Class 10 and the percentage marks in the ITI examination, giving equal weightage to both. In simple terms: (Class 10 % + ITI %) divided by 2. A candidate with 78% in Class 10 and 84% in ITI gets a merit score of 81. If your board gives grades or CGPA, convert them to actual marks and enter the real figures — for grading-system boards, RRC takes the midpoint of the grade range, and for ITI it uses the average marks shown in the consolidated mark sheet of all semesters.
Tie-breaking rule: If two candidates land on the same merit score, the older candidate is preferred. If the date of birth is also identical, the one who passed matriculation earlier is placed first.
Cluster-wise lists: The final merit list is prepared cluster-wise, trade-wise and community-wise, equal to the number of slots — so you compete only against candidates in your own cluster, trade and category. One warning matters above all: if the marks you enter online do not match your original mark sheet at Document Verification, your candidature is rejected outright. Type your marks slowly, and cross-check them once against the mark sheet before submitting.
How to Apply Online for RRC NR Apprentice Recruitment 2026
Applications are accepted online only through the RRC Northern Railway website. Follow these steps:
- Go to the official website www.rrcnr.org and click on the link “Engagement of Act Apprentice” ONLINE Application.
- Register first — fill in your Name, Father’s Name, Community, Category, Mobile Number, Email ID and Date of Birth.
- On successful registration, your login password is sent to your registered email ID and by SMS to your mobile number.
- Log in — your Candidate Dashboard opens with the Application Form, fee payment and document upload sections.
- Fill the application form carefully, choose your cluster and unit only where your ITI trade has notified slots (check Annexure A of the notification), and enter your Class 10 and ITI marks exactly as they appear on your mark sheets.
- Pay the online fee of Rs. 100 unless you belong to an exempted category (SC/ST/PwBD/Women).
- Upload your photograph, signature and thumb impression — each must be 10 to 50 KB in JPG format — along with your certificates.
- Submit the form finally, then take a print of the application and the fee payment slip for your own record. The last date is 11 December 2026, 11:59 PM.
One application only. This is the strictest rule in the notification: one candidate can submit only one application. If RRC receives multiple applications from you, all of them are summarily rejected and no fee is refunded. And remember — no change of any kind is allowed after final submission, so check every entry before you hit submit.
Documents Required for RRC NR Apprentice Application
Keep scanned copies ready before the portal opens on 11 November — an application without the required enclosures is summarily rejected, and no extra documents are accepted later at Document Verification:
- Proof of date of birth — Class 10 certificate or a DOB certificate
- Class 10 pass mark sheet and certificate
- Consolidated ITI mark sheet of all semesters, or the provisional National Trade Certificate showing marks
- National Trade Certificate issued by NCVT/SCVT, with mark sheet
- SC/ST/OBC/PwBD/Ex-Servicemen certificate in the prescribed format, where applicable (annexures are available on www.rrcnr.org)
- Disability certificate, for PwBD applicants
- Discharge certificate or serving certificate, for applicants against the Ex-Servicemen quota
At Document Verification, bring everything you uploaded in original, along with self-attested photocopies, at the place and time printed on the E-Admit Card you download from the RRC website. Certificates in a language other than English or Hindi must carry an attested translation.
RRC NR Apprentice Training and Stipend
The notification states only that the period of training and the stipend will be as per the extant rules applicable — it does not promise any fixed monthly amount, so candidates should be careful of any website quoting an exact stipend figure for this notification. Before training starts, the selected candidate has to sign a Contract of Apprenticeship Training; for a minor candidate, the guardian signs it.
Two things every applicant should know upfront: apprenticeship training gives you no right to a permanent railway job afterwards, and Northern Railway provides no hostel accommodation — you arrange your own stay during training.
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Frequently Asked Questions – RRC NR Apprentice Recruitment 2026
What is the last date to apply for RRC NR Apprentice Recruitment 2026?
The last date is 11 December 2026, and the online portal closes at 11:59 PM. Applications open on 11 November 2026 at www.rrcnr.org, and the Rs. 100 fee (where applicable) must also be paid within the same window.
How many vacancies are there in RRC NR Act Apprentice Recruitment 2026?
There are 4,651 Act Apprentice training slots in total: Lucknow cluster 1,525, Delhi 1,312, Ambala 979, Firozpur 740, Moradabad 63 and Jammu 32. The number is provisional and may increase or decrease when the selection is finalised.
What is the qualification for RRC NR Act Apprentice?
You need Class 10 (Matriculation) with at least 50% marks in aggregate from a recognised Board, plus an ITI certificate in the relevant trade issued by NCVT/SCVT. Both qualifications must have been passed by 6 November 2026 — candidates awaiting results are not eligible.
What is the age limit for Northern Railway Apprentice 2026?
As on 11 December 2026, you should have completed 15 years of age and not completed 24 years. The upper age limit is relaxable by 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC and 10 years for PwBD candidates, with additional relaxation for Ex-Servicemen as per the notification.
What is the application fee for RRC NR Apprentice Recruitment 2026?
The fee is Rs. 100 for general and other non-exempt candidates, payable online only, and it is non-refundable. SC, ST, PwBD and Women candidates pay no fee at all.
Is there any exam for RRC NR Apprentice selection?
No. The notification clearly states there will be no written test and no viva. Selection is made only through screening of applications and a merit list, followed by Document Verification and a medical fitness certificate.
How is the RRC NR Apprentice merit list prepared?
The merit score is the simple average of your percentage marks in Class 10 and in ITI, with equal weightage to both. The final merit list is prepared cluster-wise, trade-wise and community-wise, equal to the number of slots in that cluster and trade.
When will the RRC NR Apprentice merit list 2026 be released?
The notification gives February 2027 as the expected month for the display of the merit list. Document Verification details will be given on the E-Admit Card published on the RRC website, www.rrcnr.org.
What stipend do Northern Railway Act Apprentices get?
The notification does not state a fixed stipend amount. It says the period of training and the stipend will be as per the extant rules applicable, so any exact monthly figure quoted elsewhere for this notification is not from the official document.
Can I submit more than one application for RRC NR Apprentice 2026?
No. One candidate can submit only one application. If multiple applications are received from the same candidate, all of them are summarily rejected and the fee is not refunded. No change is allowed in the application after final submission either.