The Railway Board has raised the Assistant Loco Pilot vacancies under CEN 01/2026. In letter No. E(MPP)2026/26/1 dated 29 September 2026, it says the competent authority had earlier approved 11,127 ALP vacancies in Pay Level 2 for 2026 and has now decided to enhance them by 3,500. That takes the total to 14,627 (11,127 + 3,500). The letter does not print 14,627 itself; it is the sum of its two figures. The 3,500 additional indents are split across seven zonal railways:
| Sl. No. | Zonal Railway | Additional Indents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ECoR (East Coast Railway) | 450 |
| 2 | ECR (East Central Railway) | 500 |
| 3 | SCR (South Central Railway) | 700 |
| 4 | SECR (South East Central Railway) | 200 |
| 5 | SER (South Eastern Railway) | 790 |
| 6 | Metro (indent placed by SER) | 360 |
| 7 | WR (Western Railway) | 500 |
| Seven zones combined | 3,500 |
These are zonal railway indents, not RRB-wise figures. Zones must place them on the OIRMS portal, not exceeding the enhancement the Railway Board approved, and must ensure that prescribed reservation norms are strictly followed. The revised RRB-wise and category-wise vacancy split has not been released yet. The letter fixes this indent timeline:
| Stage | Indent Placement Date |
|---|---|
| Indenting Units | 30 September to 1 October 2026 |
| PCPO | 5 October 2026 |
| RRBs | 6 October 2026 |
| Nodal RRBs | 7 October 2026 onwards |
The letter announces no new application window; online applications for CEN 01/2026 closed on 14 June 2026 (23:59 hrs). It also says nothing about the exam, so the tentative CBT-1 schedule of 3 to 5 November 2026 from the 21 September notice still stands. Watch the official RRB websites for the revised RRB-wise vacancy table. Download Railway Board ALP Vacancy Enhancement Letter (29.09.2026)
Railway Recruitment Boards have released the tentative CBT-1 exam schedule for CEN 01/2026 (Assistant Loco Pilot) in a notice dated 21 September 2026. The Computer Based Test (CBT-1) is scheduled from 3 November 2026 to 5 November 2026, and RRB has marked this schedule tentative. The link for your Exam City & Date, and the Travel Authority for SC/ST candidates, goes live 10 days prior to the exam date on the official websites of all RRBs. E-Call letters open 4 days prior to the exam date shown in that Exam City and Date intimation link. Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication is done at the exam centre before you enter the hall. Download the RRB ALP CBT-1 Exam Schedule Notice PDF (21.09.2026)
An earlier Important Notice dated 25 August 2026 confirmed that the scrutiny of CEN 01/2026 applications is complete. Log in with your own credentials at the RRB application portal to see your application marked Provisionally accepted, Conditionally accepted or Rejected, with the reason. Every accepted candidature stays purely provisional and is liable to be cancelled at any stage of the recruitment process, or thereafter, if any inconsistency, deficiency, falsified record or malpractice comes to RRB’s notice, and RRB cannot entertain correspondence from ineligible or rejected candidates. Download the RRB ALP Application Status Notice PDF (25.08.2026)
If you applied for Assistant Loco Pilot under CEN 01/2026, the wait for an exam date is over. Railway Recruitment Boards have announced a tentative CBT-1 window of 3 to 5 November 2026 for this railway recruitment, advertised with 11,127 14,627 (Increased) vacancies — 11,127 in the indicative notice dated 21 March 2026, plus 3,500 added by the Railway Board on 29 September 2026. Treat the dates as tentative until your own Exam City and Date intimation confirms the exact day and centre meant for you.
This guide on GovtJobsAlert.in carries only what the official RRB notices and the Railway Board’s vacancy letter say: the tentative exam window, when the exam city link and e-call letter open, the Aadhaar rules at the centre, and the vacancy, pay and age details from the indicative notice. Where a notice says “as per detailed CEN”, we say so plainly instead of filling the gap. Read it fully so nothing catches you out on exam day.
The Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) run Assistant Loco Pilot recruitment through one Centralised Employment Notification covering all participating boards.
| Detail | As Notified |
|---|---|
| Post Name | Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP), Level-2 |
| Total Vacancies | 11,127 14,627 (Increased) (11,127 in the indicative notice + 3,500 by Railway Board letter, 29 September 2026) |
| Exam Stage Now Scheduled | Computer Based Test (CBT-1) |
| Tentative Exam Dates | 3 to 5 November 2026 |
| Initial Pay | ₹19,900 at Pay Level 2 (7th CPC) |
| Job Location | All India, all participating RRBs |
| Post Name | Level | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) | Level-2 | 11,127 14,627 (Increased) |
The indicative notice dated 21 March 2026 printed an all-India figure of 11,127. The Railway Board letter of 29 September 2026 added 3,500 more through seven zonal railways, which makes 14,627; that total is the sum of the two figures, not a number printed in either document. No notice gives a category-wise split, and the revised RRB-wise figures are not out yet. Until they are, the distribution in detailed CEN 01/2026 is the one on record.
The indicative notice prints the education qualification and medical standard for this post as “As per detailed CEN”. It names no trade, diploma or degree, so we will not guess one. The binding qualification is in detailed CEN 01/2026, and if you applied, your eligibility has already been examined in the completed scrutiny.
| Detail | As Printed in the Indicative Notice |
|---|---|
| Minimum Age | 18 years |
| Maximum Age | 30 years |
| Age Reckoned As On | 1 July 2026 |
Not sure if you meet the age criteria? Use our free Age Calculator for Government Exams to find your exact age on the cut-off date and instantly check your eligibility — including any age relaxation you qualify for. →
No age relaxation table appears in these notices. The relaxations that apply are those set out in detailed CEN 01/2026.
The indicative notice states the pay in two figures and nothing more.
| Pay Component | As Notified |
|---|---|
| Pay Level (7th CPC) | Level 2 |
| Initial Pay | ₹19,900 per month |
No allowance rate or in-hand figure is printed, so read ₹19,900 as starting basic pay, not take-home.
This notice deals with one stage: the Computer Based Test (CBT-1), tentatively from 3 to 5 November 2026. RRB states that its selections are made through Computer Based Test and recruitment is based purely on merit. What follows CBT-1, the exam pattern and the marking scheme are prescribed in detailed CEN 01/2026 — no notice here sets them out, so use the CEN and our exam syllabus updates.
Aadhaar-linked biometric authentication happens before you enter the exam hall, so carry your original Aadhaar card or a printout of your e-verified Aadhaar. If you have not authenticated your identity through Aadhaar, do it by logging in on the RRB application portal (link in Essential Links below). Even if you verified it while applying, keep your Aadhaar unlocked in the UIDAI system before you travel. It should carry the correct name, date of birth as per your Class 10 certificate, latest photograph, address and father’s name.
Applications for CEN 01/2026 are closed. The online window ran from 15 May 2026 to 14 June 2026 (23:59 hrs), and scrutiny is complete. No fresh application can be submitted. If you applied, these steps are left.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Indicative Notice Published | 21 March 2026 |
| Online Application Start | 15 May 2026 |
| Last Date to Apply Online | 14 June 2026 (23:59 hrs) |
| Application Status Notice | 25 August 2026 |
| CBT-1 Exam Schedule Notice | 21 September 2026 |
| Tentative CBT-1 Exam Dates | 3 November 2026 to 5 November 2026 |
| Exam City & Date Link and SC/ST Travel Authority | 10 days before the exam date |
| E-Call Letter Download | 4 days before the exam date in the intimation link |
RRB states the last two rows only as relative windows, so no calendar date is fixed for them. Track our exam calendar updates and admit card alerts.
None of the notices covered here, including the Railway Board letter, prints an application fee, exemption or refund rule. Any fee that applied is the one stated in detailed CEN 01/2026, and the window is closed in any case, so no payment is pending.
Mark 3 to 5 November 2026 in your calendar, but remember RRB calls this schedule tentative — your own Exam City and Date intimation is the version that counts. Start revising now, keep your Aadhaar unlocked, and refer only to official RRB websites. Keep visiting GovtJobsAlert.in for every railway job update.
Source: Govt Jobs Alert — Read the original notification
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Railway Recruitment Board is a government organisation in India. The vacancy notifications listed under it on Kaam Ki Khoj are aggregated from public sources and reproduced for information. Every listing links to the original notification; apply only... Read More
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