How To Get A Job In Indian Railways

With more than 5 billion passenger-km, Indian Railways ranks 1st among countries.

13:52 12 June 2021

India has the fourth largest railway network in the world after the United States, Russia, and China. The Indian Railways has 7500 stations and 114,500 kilometres of total track length. 

 

The body responsible for overseeing various examinations for the recruitment of candidates who aspire to become a part of the Railway Division is called Railway Recruiting Control Board. It is a government organization, set up by the Ministry of Railways, New Delhi in 1998. 

 

Indian Railways is one of the world’s biggest employers with a workforce of 1.4 million. Candidates aspire for railway jobs as there are many benefits, including –

 

• Job security and stability
  
  
• Residential quarters for employees
  
  
• Subsidized meals and refreshments at any of the railway canteens all over the country
  
  
• Free medical care in railway hospitals
  
  
• Railways’ schools and colleges for children of employees
  
  
• Athletes can get railway jobs with the sports quota
  
  
• Recreational facilities and sporting events
  
  
• Good salary structure for employees

 

Railway exams are one of the most competitive exams in the country, as crores of candidates apply, to get a job in railway. The exams are conducted by RRB boards for different positions in Indian Railways. The list of exams for getting a job in railways includes –

 

• RRB JE (Junior Engineer)
  
  
• RRB Group D
  
  
• Assistant Station Master (ASM)
  
  
• Section Engineers
  
  
• Assistant Manager
  
  
• Railway Services Grades
  
  
• Traffic Apprentice
• Special Class Railway Apprentice (SCRA) Exam
  
  
• RRB NTPC
  
  
• RRB ALP and Technician
  
  
• Enquiry cum Reservation Clerk (ECRC)
  
  
• Goods Guard
  
  
• Sports Persons
  
  
• Railway Engineer
  
  
• Traffic Assistant
  
  
• Ticket Checker (RRB TC)
  
  

Railway jobs are divided into two cadres – technical and non-technical, which are further divided into four groups – Group A, Group B, Group C, and Group D.

 

For Group A posts, candidates need to give the two exams of UPSC – ESE (Engineering Services Examination) and CSE (Civil Services Examination). Posts such as Engineering Services for Civil, Traffic Service, Indian Railways Accounts Service and Personnel Service are called Group A posts. 

 

Group B posts are held by officers who are promoted from Group C. There is no direct recruitment in Group B.

 

Group C posts include junior engineers, technicians, and senior section engineers in technical departments and booking clerks, chief ticket examiners, station master, and loco pilots in other departments. 

 

Group D recruitment is managed by RRC, through the Group D exam that includes a computer-based test and a physical efficiency test. Posts such as Assistant TL & AC, Assistant Pointsman, and Assistant Operations come under Group D.

 

Recruitment for Group C posts is handled by RRBs whereas recruitment for Group D posts is handled by RRCs. In total, there are 21 RRBs and 16 RRCs. 

 

There have been various changes in railway recruitment procedure in the past few years, including –

 

• RRB has shifted from the offline application method to the online application method, to make the process quicker. Hence, candidates can submit their application form online. Earlier, candidates could apply by getting the application form from either RRBs, newspapers, by post, or in Employment News.
  
  
• Another change in the railway exams was a shift from the pen-and-paper mode to computer-based, online mode testing. The admit cards are also issued online now, as compared to earlier when they were sent by post.
  
  

The selection process varies for each exam. The common process is as follows –

 

• Fill the RRB application form – Candidates who want a railway job need to fill the RRB application form online. The application fee is Rs 500 for all candidates, excluding the concession categories. For candidates belonging to the PwBD, Female, Transgender, Ex-servicemen, SC, ST, Minority communities and Economically Backward Class, the application fee is Rs 250. Candidates can pay the application fee online as well as offline.
  
  
• Admit Card Release – Candidates can download their admit cards once it is released. The admit card would be issued separately for different stages of the exam.
  
  
• Appearing for CBT – There are two stages in the CBT - First and Second. Questions are asked from Mathematics, General Awareness, and Current Affairs, General Science, General Intelligence, and Reasoning. Candidates who pass the first stage of CBT qualify for the second stage. The first stage of CBT is conducted for shortlisting candidates for the second round.
  
  
• Results – The result of the recruitment exam can be accessed on the official website.
  
  
• Computer-Based Aptitude Test/Physical Efficiency Test (PET)/Typing Skill Test – These tests are conducted according to the posts. For these tests, candidates are selected based on their performance in the second stage of CBT. 
  
  
• Document verification – This step is for every post, hence all candidates are mandatorily required to appear in this stage. 
  
  
• Medical Examination – Before being appointed, candidates are required to undergo a medical examination. If they’re found to be medically fit, they are given a letter of appointment.
  
  

If you are an aspirant looking forward to preparing forupcoming govt exams including railway exams, you should follow these tips –

 

• Be aware of every exam that you want to appear for.
  
  
• Understand the topics as well as concepts, based on the syllabus for each exam.
  
  
• Revise and practise the concepts by solving the previous year question papers. This would also give you an idea about the exam pattern, time, and marking scheme.
  
  
• Be calm and focused while preparing for the exam as well as during the exam.
  
  
• Practice for the RRB exams by giving mock tests regularly.
  
  

Candidates can apply for these positions after 12th –

 

• Railway constable
  
  
• Goods guard
  
  
• Railway driver
  
  
• Ticket checker or Ticket examiner
  
  
• RRB loco pilot
  
  
• Railway information department
  
  
• Railway clerk
  
  

B.Tech or BE graduate candidates can appear for the railway exams RRB ALP, RRB NTPC, IES, RRB JE SSE, RRC Group D Exam, and SSC. MBBS graduates can also appear for the Combined Medical Services Examination (CMSE) to be recruited as Group A (Class 1) staff. 

 

If you are a candidate interested in railway jobs, you can crack the examination with sincere preparation. You can land the railway job of your dreams and gain all the benefits that come along with it.