Opening Overview
Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), Ministry of Railways, Government of India, issued Centralised Employment Notice CEN No. 01/2025 for the Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) recruitment. The recruitment covers 9,970 vacancies across participating RRBs and railway zones. Candidates who applied for this recruitment should check the official RRB websites for result, merit list, examination schedule and subsequent-stage updates.
Post Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organization | Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), Ministry of Railways |
| Post Name | Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) |
| Total Vacancies | 9,970 |
| Qualification | Matriculation/SSLC with relevant ITI or Course Completed Act Apprenticeship, or 3-year Diploma/Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics or Automobile Engineering |
| Pay Level | Level 2 under 7th CPC |
| Initial Pay | ₹19,900 |
| Medical Standard | A-1 |
| Category | Result |
| Status | Recruitment and examination updates are to be published on official RRB websites |
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Indicative Notice in Employment News | 29/03/2025 |
| Online Application Start Date | 12/04/2025 |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 11/05/2025 up to 23:59 hours |
| Last Date for Application Fee Payment | 13/05/2025 up to 23:59 hours |
| Application Modification Window | 14/05/2025 to 23/05/2025 |
Application Fee
The examination fee prescribed in the notification was as follows:
| Category | Fee | Refund on Appearing in CBT-1 |
|---|---|---|
| All candidates except the categories listed below | ₹500 | ₹400 after deduction of bank charges |
| SC, ST, Ex-Servicemen, Female, Transgender, Minority and EBC candidates | ₹250 | ₹250 after deduction of bank charges |
Fee payment was accepted online through internet banking, debit card, credit card or UPI. The refund is available only to candidates who actually appear in the First Stage CBT. EBC refers to Economically Backward Class and must not be confused with OBC or EWS.
Age Limit
The prescribed age was 18 to 30 years as on 01/07/2025.
Age relaxation included SC/ST: 5 years; OBC-NCL: 3 years; Ex-Servicemen: 3, 6 or 8 years depending on category after deduction of service period; eligible Railway staff: maximum age up to 40 years for UR/EWS, 43 years for OBC-NCL and 45 years for SC/ST; eligible widowed, divorced or judicially separated women: maximum age up to 35 years for UR/EWS, 38 years for OBC-NCL and 40 years for SC/ST; and applicable relaxation for Course Completed Act Apprentices as prescribed in the notification.
Vacancy Details
| RRB / Railway Zone | Zone | UR | SC | ST | OBC | EWS | Total | Ex-Servicemen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmedabad - Western Railway | WR | 223 | 74 | 37 | 130 | 33 | 497 | 50 |
| Ajmer - North Western Railway | NWR | 162 | 262 | 73 | 133 | 49 | 679 | 69 |
| Ajmer - West Central Railway | WCR | 109 | 4 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 141 | 14 |
| Prayagraj - Northern Railway | NR | 33 | 12 | 6 | 21 | 8 | 80 | 8 |
| Prayagraj - North Central Railway | NCR | 218 | 72 | 50 | 110 | 58 | 508 | 51 |
| Bhopal - Western Railway | WR | 23 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 46 | 5 |
| Bhopal - West Central Railway | WCR | 221 | 103 | 53 | 130 | 111 | 618 | 62 |
| Bhubaneswar - East Coast Railway | ECoR | 454 | 205 | 119 | 121 | 29 | 928 | 93 |
| Bilaspur - South East Central Railway | SECR | 228 | 86 | 43 | 155 | 56 | 568 | 57 |
| Chandigarh - Northern Railway | NR | 188 | 56 | 28 | 117 | 44 | 433 | 44 |
| Chennai - Southern Railway | SR | 155 | 56 | 37 | 73 | 41 | 362 | 37 |
| Gorakhpur - North Eastern Railway | NER | 32 | 12 | 28 | 21 | 7 | 100 | 10 |
| Guwahati - Northeast Frontier Railway | NFR | 13 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 30 | 3 |
| Jammu-Srinagar - Northern Railway | NR | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Kolkata - South Eastern Railway | SER | 95 | 39 | 19 | 61 | 48 | 262 | 27 |
| Kolkata - Eastern Railway | ER | 194 | 71 | 39 | 103 | 51 | 458 | 46 |
| Malda - Eastern Railway | ER | 171 | 66 | 37 | 103 | 33 | 410 | 42 |
| Malda - South Eastern Railway | SER | 10 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 24 | 2 |
| Mumbai - South Central Railway | SCR | 9 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 22 | 2 |
| Mumbai - Central Railway | CR | 152 | 56 | 28 | 102 | 38 | 376 | 38 |
| Mumbai - Western Railway | WR | 138 | 51 | 26 | 93 | 34 | 342 | 34 |
| Muzaffarpur - East Central Railway | ECR | 36 | 13 | 7 | 24 | 9 | 89 | 9 |
| Patna - East Central Railway | ECR | 14 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 33 | 3 |
| Ranchi - East Central Railway | ECR | 234 | 87 | 43 | 156 | 58 | 578 | 58 |
| Ranchi - South Eastern Railway | SER | 255 | 105 | 45 | 164 | 66 | 635 | 63 |
| Secunderabad - South Central Railway | SCR | 435 | 136 | 70 | 216 | 110 | 967 | 98 |
| Secunderabad - East Coast Railway | ECoR | 216 | 80 | 40 | 144 | 53 | 533 | 53 |
| Siliguri - Northeast Frontier Railway | NFR | 39 | 14 | 6 | 26 | 10 | 95 | 10 |
| Thiruvananthapuram - Southern Railway | SR | 55 | 25 | 15 | 32 | 21 | 148 | 15 |
| Total | 4,116 | 1,716 | 858 | 2,289 | 991 | 9,970 | 1,004 |
Eligibility / Qualification
Candidates were required to possess the prescribed qualification on or before the closing date of online application. Candidates awaiting the final result of the qualifying examination were not eligible.
Eligible qualifications for Assistant Loco Pilot included:
- Matriculation/SSLC with ITI from a recognised NCVT or SCVT institution in trades such as Fitter, Electrician, Instrument Mechanic, Millwright/Maintenance Mechanic, Mechanic (Radio and TV), Electronics Mechanic, Mechanic (Motor Vehicle), Wireman, Tractor Mechanic, Armature and Coil Winder, Mechanic (Diesel), Heat Engine, Turner, Machinist, or Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Mechanic.
- Matriculation/SSLC with Course Completed Act Apprenticeship in the notified trades.
- Matriculation/SSLC with a three-year Diploma in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics or Automobile Engineering, including combinations of these disciplines, from a recognised institution.
- A Degree in the above engineering disciplines was also accepted in place of the Diploma.
The ALP post required A-1 medical standard. Candidates had to meet the prescribed physical and visual standards. Distant vision was required to be 6/6 and 6/6 without glasses with fogging test, and near vision was required to be Sn: 0.6, 0.6 without glasses. Candidates also had to pass colour vision, binocular vision, field of vision, night vision and mesopic vision tests. Candidates who had undergone LASIK or another corrective eye surgery were not eligible.
Selection Process
The recruitment process consisted of the following stages:
- First Stage Computer Based Test (CBT-1).
- Second Stage Computer Based Test (CBT-2).
- Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT).
- Document Verification (DV).
- Medical Examination (ME).
Candidates were shortlisted for CBT-2 on an RRB-wise basis, generally at up to 15 times the vacancies notified for the concerned RRB. Candidates qualifying in CBT-2 Part-B and meeting the applicable criteria were shortlisted for CBAT at up to 8 times the vacancies for the relevant community/category.
The final merit list was prepared using 70% weightage of CBT-2 Part-A marks and 30% weightage of CBAT marks. CBT-1 marks were used only for screening and were not counted in the final panel.
Exam Pattern and Syllabus
CBT-1 Exam Pattern
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Total Questions | 75 |
| Maximum Marks | 75 |
| Question Type | Objective multiple-choice questions |
| Negative Marking | 1/3 mark for each wrong answer |
| Normalization | Applicable for examinations conducted in multiple shifts |
The CBT-1 syllabus covered Mathematics, Mental Ability, General Science and General Awareness. General Science was based on Physics, Chemistry and Life Science up to the 10th standard level.
Minimum qualifying percentages were 40% for UR/EWS, 30% for OBC-NCL and SC, and 25% for ST candidates. The same standard applied to Ex-Servicemen according to their community.
CBT-2 Exam Pattern
| Part | Duration | Questions | Nature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part-A | 90 minutes | 100 | Marks counted for further shortlisting |
| Part-B | 60 minutes | 75 | Qualifying in nature |
| Total | 150 minutes | 175 |
CBT-2 had negative marking of 1/3 mark for every wrong answer. Part-A included Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning, and Basic Science and Engineering. Part-B contained questions from trade syllabi prescribed by the Directorate General of Training (DGT) and required a qualifying score of 35% for all candidates.
The minimum qualifying percentage in CBT-2 Part-A was 40% for UR/EWS, 30% for OBC-NCL and SC, and 25% for ST candidates.
CBAT
The Computer Based Aptitude Test was conducted only in English and Hindi and had no negative marking. Candidates had to secure a minimum T-score of 42 in each test battery separately. A valid vision certificate in the prescribed format was required at the time of CBAT.
Result Details
Candidates should check the official website of the RRB selected in their application to view the ALP result, score information, cut-off marks, shortlist, e-call letter or document verification schedule. The candidate should:
- Open the official website of the concerned RRB.
- Select the CEN 01/2025 ALP result or recruitment update link.
- Enter the registration number, date of birth, password or other required credentials.
- Download and save the result or shortlist PDF.
- Check the roll number, category, qualifying status, cut-off and instructions for the next stage.
Candidates shortlisted for Document Verification must produce original certificates along with two sets of self-attested photocopies. Certificates must be in English or Hindi; documents in another language must be accompanied by a self-attested translated version.
Medical and Document Verification Requirements
The Assistant Loco Pilot post carries stringent medical requirements. Candidates found medically unsuitable will not be offered an alternative appointment. Selected candidates are also subject to verification of educational, age, caste/category and other certificates, antecedents and character.
Candidates must bring their original documents to Document Verification. SC/ST candidates who opted for the free train travel facility must carry their original community certificate while travelling. Candidates employed in a Central or State Government department, Railways, PSU or government autonomous body must produce a No Objection Certificate at Document Verification.
Examination Instructions
Candidates must carry the e-call letter, a valid original photo identity card and the same colour passport photograph uploaded with the online application. Electronic devices, mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, calculators, smart watches, wallets, belts, shoes, metallic items and stationery such as pens or pencils are prohibited at examination venues. Requests for changing the examination city, date, centre or shift are not accepted.
A candidate could apply to only one RRB and submit only one application. Multiple applications resulted in rejection and possible debarment from future RRB/RRC examinations. All recruitment updates, results and e-call letters are issued through official RRB websites, SMS and email only.