RRC NR Apprentice 2026 Notification: 4,651 Act Apprentice Slots in Northern Railway
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RRC NR Apprentice 2026 offers 4,651 training slots for ITI (Industrial Training Institute) pass candidates across Northern Railway. These are Act Apprentice seats under the Apprentices Act 1961, not permanent railway jobs. The online form runs from 11 November 2026 to 11 December 2026 (until 11:59 PM) on rrcnr.org. You need Class 10 with at least 50% marks plus an ITI in the trade, both passed by 6 November 2026. There is no written exam and no interview. Selection is on the average of your Class 10 and ITI percentages.
No railway absorption, and a contract your guardian signs if you are under 18
These are training seats, not posts. Training in the railway gives no right to be absorbed in the railway afterwards. Northern Railway does not have to offer you a job when training ends, and you do not have to accept one.
The notice does not print the stipend amount or the training period. It says both follow the “extant rules” (the rules in force). Before training starts, you sign a contract of apprenticeship. If you are under 18, your guardian signs it. No hostel is given during training, and no travel allowance is paid for document verification.
RRC NR Apprentice 2026 slots in six clusters
| Cluster | Total | UR | SC | ST | OBC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucknow | 1525 | 774 | 229 | 112 | 410 |
| Delhi | 1312 | 668 | 198 | 94 | 352 |
| Ambala | 979 | 501 | 144 | 72 | 262 |
| Firozpur | 740 | 442 | 169 | 12 | 117 |
| Moradabad | 63 | 32 | 9 | 6 | 16 |
| Jammu | 32 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Total | 4651 | 2433 | 755 | 300 | 1163 |
UR means unreserved. The slot tables have no column for EWS (economically weaker section). Seats for persons with disability (PwBD) and ex-servicemen are included in these numbers, not added on top. Unfilled SC and ST slots can pass to each other and then to others, and unfilled OBC slots go to non-OBC candidates. The notice calls all slots provisional, so they can rise or fall.
The Lucknow Division and Ambala Division list the most slots, 504 and 494, across several trades. Among workshops, the Carriage and Wagon periodic overhaul (POH) Workshop at Jagadhari leads with 420. Next come the Carriage Workshop at Alambagh, Lucknow (374) and the Charbagh Rolling Stock Workshop (333 on its mechanical side and 225 on its electrical side). The Firozpur cluster covers units at Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Firozpur.
RRC NR Apprentice 2026 slots by ITI trade: Fitter leads with 1,791
We added up all 186 trade rows in Annexure A. The rows total 4,651, which matches the notice. Here are the main trades:
| Trade (all rows of that trade, as named in Annexure A) | Slots |
|---|---|
| Fitter (includes Fitter Electrical, Mechanical, Plate, Pipe and MWD rows) | 1791 |
| Electrician (includes TRD, TL, ACF and Remote Control rows) | 775 |
| Welder (Gas and Electric) | 430 |
| Mechanic Diesel | 316 |
| Electronics Mechanic (includes Signal, Tele, ESM and TCM rows) | 238 |
| Carpenter | 213 |
| Stenographer (English 127, Hindi 26) | 153 |
| Refrigeration and AC Mechanic | 152 |
| Machinist | 120 |
| Data Entry Operator | 112 |
| Painter General | 103 |
| Computer Operator and Programming Assistant (COPA) | 33 |
Smaller trades include Wireman, Blacksmith, Turner, Mason, Mechanic Motor Vehicle and a few crane and machine operator seats. By our count, Fitter alone is close to 4 of every 10 slots. By our count, Stenographer seats are mainly in Delhi (70), Lucknow (58) and Ambala (20). Data Entry Operator seats are in Delhi (75), Lucknow (23) and Moradabad (14). COPA seats are only in Delhi (13) and Ambala (20).
A unit with no slot for your trade makes the RRC NR form “meaningless”
You choose a cluster and units on the form. Pick only units where your own ITI trade has slots in Annexure A. If you pick a unit with no slot for your trade, the notice calls your form “meaningless”. It is rejected, and the fee is not refunded.
- One candidate may send only one application. If you send more than one, all of them are rejected.
- You cannot change anything after final submission.
- No request to change the division or unit is accepted at any stage.
- The merit list is made cluster-wise, trade-wise and category-wise. You compete only with people in the same cluster, trade and category.
Class 10 and ITI by 6 November, age 15 to under 24 on 11 December 2026
You must have passed Class 10 (or an equivalent board exam) with at least 50% marks in aggregate. You must also hold an ITI pass in the relevant trade, certified by the national or a state trade council (NCVT or SCVT). Both must be passed by 6 November 2026, the notice date. If your Class 10 or ITI result was still awaited on that date, you cannot apply. The notice gives no relaxation of the 50% mark for any category.
The age rule uses a different date, 11 December 2026. You must have completed 15 years and must not have completed 24 years on that day. By our reading, that means a date of birth from 12 December 2002 to 11 December 2011 for UR candidates. The upper limit rises by 5 years for SC and ST, 3 years for OBC and 10 years for PwBD. Ex-servicemen get their defence service plus 3 years, up to 10 extra years. They must have served at least 6 months at a stretch. Those who already joined a civil government job using ex-servicemen status do not get this relaxation.
Grade midpoints, semester averages and the age tie-break in RRC NR merit
RRC takes your Class 10 percentage and your ITI percentage and gives them equal weight. Your merit score is the average of the two. Our example: 70% in Class 10 and 80% in ITI gives a score of 75.
- Class 10: the percentage counts the marks of all subjects, not a group of subjects.
- Grade boards: if your board gives grades or CGPA, RRC takes the midpoint of each grade range. Each subject is treated as out of 100. You must convert your grades to marks yourself and enter them in the form.
- ITI: RRC uses the average of all semesters, as shown in the consolidated mark sheet or the provisional National Trade Certificate (NTC).
- Ties: the older candidate goes first. If the birth dates match, the one who passed Class 10 earlier goes first.
Enter your marks exactly as printed, or your converted marks if your board uses grades. If the marks in the form do not match your mark sheet at document verification, the application is rejected. The notice expects the merit list in February 2027.
Online-only Rs 100, no refund, and a fresh payment if it stays pending
The fee is Rs 100, paid online only. It is not refunded. SC, ST, PwBD and women candidates pay no fee. RRC does not accept cash, cheque, demand draft, postal order or fee stamps. If a payment fails or stays pending, you must make a fresh payment.
“Engagement of Act Apprentice” link, 10 to 50 KB JPGs and a thumb impression
- Open rrcnr.org and click the “Engagement of Act Apprentice” online application link once it goes live on 11 November 2026.
- Register with your name, father’s name, community, category, mobile number, email and date of birth. The password comes by email and SMS.
- Log in, fill the form, choose your cluster and units, and pay the fee if your category pays.
- Upload your photo, signature and thumb impression as JPG files of 10 KB to 50 KB each. The notice lists a missing “LHT impression” (left hand thumb) as a reason for rejection.
- Upload your birth proof and your Class 10 mark sheet and certificate. Add the ITI mark sheet of all semesters (or the provisional NTC with marks) and the NTC itself. Add caste, PwBD or ex-servicemen certificates if you claim them.
- Submit, then print the form and the fee slip for your records.
Missing uploads lead to rejection, and no extra document is taken at verification. A photo with goggles, a cap, a wig or coloured glasses is rejected. So is a signature in capital letters, or a form filled in a language other than English or Hindi. Certificates in other languages need a self-attested English or Hindi translation. OBC candidates need a non-creamy layer certificate for 2026-27 in the central government format. It must be issued on or after 1 January 2026. This certificate shows the family is outside the better-off OBC group.
At document verification, bring the originals and self-attested copies of everything you uploaded. One part of the notice asks for one set of copies and another asks for two, so carry two. Also bring a medical fitness certificate in the prescribed format. A gazetted government doctor, not below Assistant Surgeon in a central or state hospital, must sign it.
RRC NR apprentice slots compared with the 2025-26 notice
The rrcnr.org notice list also shows the earlier cycles. The 2025-26 notice, RRC/NR 05/2025, was for 4,116 apprentices, with document verification from 9 to 13 February 2026. Before that, RRC/NR 06/2024 was for 4,096. This year’s 4,651 slots are 535 more than the 2025-26 notice.
RRC NWR and ONGC apprentice seats for the same ITI trades as RRC NR
North Western Railway has its own RRC NWR apprentice notice for ITI trades. ONGC also runs a large ONGC apprentice drive for 10th, ITI and diploma holders. Northern Railway’s RRC NR Scouts and Guides quota recruitment is a regular job route, with its own rules. For more, see railway recruitments and government openings for ITI holders.
Annexure A row, marks average and caste papers: RRC NR checks
- Open Annexure A and note the units in your preferred cluster that list your exact ITI trade.
- Work out your Class 10 percentage (convert grades if needed) and your ITI average from the mark sheets you will upload.
- Get your caste, PwBD or ex-servicemen papers ready. Then submit one form between 11 November 2026 and 11:59 PM on 11 December 2026.
Official links
- Apply onlineOpens 11 Nov 2026
- Notification Notification PDF (opens in new tab)
- Official websiterrcnr.org (opens in new tab)
- Photo & signatureResize photo & signature