Railway Apprentice for ITI: Eligibility, Merit, Trades and What Comes After
Every year railway zones take thousands of ITI pass candidates as Act Apprentices in their workshops, sheds and divisions, selected on marks with no written exam. This page explains who is eligible, how the merit list is made, which trades are taken, the stipend, how Mumbai's two zones handle it, and the preference apprentices get later in railway Level-1 recruitment.
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Check my resume freeWho is eligible
The notices we read ask for 10th (matriculation) passed with at least 50% aggregate marks, and an ITI in the notified trade from an NCVT or SCVT recognised institute. The age limit is usually 15 to 24 years, with relaxations for reserved categories, persons with disabilities and ex-servicemen. Candidates whose 10th or ITI result is still awaited are not eligible, and diploma holders and engineering graduates come under a different scheme.
How the merit list is made
There is no exam. Merit is the average of your 10th percentage and your ITI percentage, with equal weight; for example 80.58% and 91.68% give 86.13. Lists are made trade-wise, unit-wise and community-wise, and the marks you type in the online form are what count, so enter them exactly from your marksheets. Shortlisted candidates go to document verification at the division or workshop.
Trades and stipend
Trades vary by zone and year; notices commonly include fitter, welder, turner, machinist, electrician, wireman, electronics mechanic, mechanic diesel and motor vehicle, refrigeration and AC, carpenter, painter, plumber and COPA. The trade-wise slots are in each notice's annexure.
Training usually lasts one year and is paid a stipend under the Apprenticeship Rules. The minimum stipend for an ITI pass apprentice is ₹9,600 a month under the notification in force from 11 September 2025.
Mumbai: Central Railway and Western Railway
Both zones are headquartered in Mumbai, and each runs its own apprentice notification through its Railway Recruitment Cell: Central Railway at rrccr.com and Western Railway at rrc-wr.com. Applications are accepted only online through these sites. Read the current notice there for dates, units, trades and any fee.
After the apprenticeship: the 20% preference
An apprenticeship is training, not a railway job. But under Railway Board orders (RBE 71/2016, reaffirmed in RBE 51/2022), 20% of vacancies in direct recruitment to Level-1 posts are filled with preference to Course Completed Act Apprentices trained in railway establishments who hold the National Apprenticeship Certificate. You still apply in the RRB recruitment when it is notified.
Lines for your resume
Copy the lines that are true for you, replace every [bracket] and delete the rest. Every number should be one you can repeat in a practical test.
Railway apprenticeship lines
- Act Apprentice ([Trade]), [Workshop / Shed / Division], [Central / Western] Railway, [month year]: [month year]
- National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC), [Trade], [year]
- Worked on [maintenance of coaches / locomotive sheds / track machines / electrical maintenance] under the section engineer
- ITI [Trade] (NCVT), [ITI name], [year], [XX]% | 10th: [XX]%
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Common questions
What is the eligibility for railway apprentice for ITI?
10th passed with at least 50% aggregate, an ITI in the notified trade from an NCVT or SCVT institute, and usually age 15 to 24 with category relaxations. Check your zone's notice.
Is there an exam for railway apprentice?
No. Selection is on merit: the average of your 10th and ITI percentages, with equal weight, followed by document verification.
What is the stipend for a railway apprentice?
It is paid under the Apprenticeship Rules; the minimum for an ITI pass apprentice is ₹9,600 a month under the notification in force from 11 September 2025.
Does a railway apprenticeship give a permanent railway job?
Not directly. But 20% of Level-1 direct recruitment vacancies are filled with preference to course-completed Act Apprentices trained in railway establishments, under Railway Board orders.
Where do I apply in Mumbai?
On the Railway Recruitment Cell sites: rrccr.com for Central Railway and rrc-wr.com for Western Railway, when an apprentice notice is open.
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