RRB Level-1 Recruitment: 22,000 Vacancies, Applications Open Jan 21

The Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, have issued an indicative short notification for recruitment to Level-1 posts (Group D) under Centralised Employment Notice (CEN) No. 09/2025, signalling a major hiring drive to fill around 22,000 vacancies (approx.) across railway zones. The recruitment covers various Level-1 posts under the 7th CPC Pay Matrix, carrying an initial pay of Rs 18,000, and candidates will have to meet the educational qualifications and medical standards prescribed for each post, which will be detailed in the full notification.

As per the notice, applications will be accepted only through online mode via the common portal www.rrbapply.gov.in. The registration window will open on January 21, 2026, and the last date for submission is February 20, 2026, up to 23:59 hours. The age eligibility has been fixed at 18 to 33 years as on January 1, 2026, while category-wise relaxation and reservation rules are expected to be applicable as per standard RRB norms and will be mentioned in the detailed CEN.

RRBs have clarified that the current release is purely indicative and has been issued to keep prospective candidates informed and prepared with the required documentation. The detailed CEN 09/2025 notification containing complete information such as post-wise vacancy break-up, zone-wise distribution, eligibility criteria, application fee, selection stages, CBT exam pattern, syllabus, PET requirements and medical norms is expected to be published shortly on official RRB websites, and candidates have been advised to rely only on official platforms for any confirmation and updates.

A key highlight of this recruitment cycle is the strong emphasis on Aadhaar-based verification to prevent mismatches and reduce delays during scrutiny. Candidates have been advised to verify their primary details using Aadhaar while filling the online form and ensure that the name and date of birth in Aadhaar match their Class 10 certificate. They have also been urged to update Aadhaar with the latest photograph and biometrics such as fingerprint and iris before submission, as applications without Aadhaar verification may undergo detailed scrutiny at multiple stages, potentially delaying processing.

The recruitment drive comes amid continued efforts by Indian Railways to fill ground-level operational vacancies and strengthen manpower across zones, with recent reports indicating sustained recruitment momentum and further hiring plans as part of a broader workforce expansion strategy. Reiterating past advisories, RRBs have cautioned candidates to beware of touts, brokers and job racketeers, and to follow updates only through official RRB websites and the unified application portal.