RRB ALP 2026: Eligibility, Age Limit, Vacancy & Selection Process
ALP is the highest-value technical entry in railways, and it has a career path most applicants do not know about: Assistant Loco Pilot leads to Loco Pilot and eventually to Mail and Express driving, with earnings that go well beyond the entry pay scale because of running allowances.
RRB ALP 2026 at a glance
| Conducting body | Railway Recruitment Board |
|---|---|
| Examination | Assistant Loco Pilot Recruitment |
| Total vacancies | Not announced |
| Qualification | Class 10 plus ITI in a notified trade, or a diploma in engineering |
| Age limit | 18–30 years as on 01 Jul 2026 (relaxation below) |
| Application dates | Not announced not yet verified as published ↗ |
| Application fee | ₹500 (₹250 for SC, ST, women and ex-servicemen; largely refunded on appearing) |
| Exam date | No CEN currently advertised on RRB's apply portal not yet verified as published ↗ |
| Salary | ₹19,900 – ₹63,200 per month (Level 2) |
| Apply online | RRB application portal ↗ |
| Official website | www.rrbapply.gov.in ↗ |
Are you eligible for RRB ALP 2026?
RRB ALP counts your age on 01 Jul 2026: 30 for General, 33 for OBC-NCL and 35 for SC/ST. Enter your date of birth and we will do that arithmetic.
RRB ALP age limit and relaxation 2026
The age limit for RRB ALP 2026 is 18 to 30 years as on 01 Jul 2026. The date is the rule, not the exam day. Someone born 01 Jul 1995 is already 31 on that date and is out; born a day later they are 30, and they can apply.
| Category | Relaxation | Effective maximum age |
|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | No relaxation | 30 years |
| OBC-NCL | +3 years | 33 years |
| SC / ST | +5 years | 35 years |
| PwD | Not eligible (see below) | |
This is a uniformed post with medical and physical standards, so the PwD relaxation that applies to clerical exams does not exist here. The OBC and SC/ST relaxation does. Full age relaxation rules →
RRB ALP posts and salary
| Post | Department | Pay level | Monthly pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant Loco Pilot | Indian Railways | Level-2 | ₹19,900–63,200 |
RRB ALP selection process
| Stage | Details |
|---|---|
| CBT-1 | 75 questions, 60 minutes. Screening stage. |
| CBT-2 | Part A general, Part B trade-specific. Qualifying and merit. |
| CBAT | Computer Based Aptitude Test — psychometric, cannot be prepared for conventionally. |
| Document verification and medical | A1 vision standard, tested without correction. |
Who should apply for RRB ALP
For ITI or diploma holders in the notified trades who can meet the A1 vision standard. That vision requirement is absolute and untreatable — get an eye test before you invest a year in preparing for this.
- The A1 medical vision standard is the strictest in railway recruitment and rejects a meaningful number of otherwise selected candidates.
- CBAT is an aptitude test with no negative marking and no conventional syllabus — practise the format, not the content.
- Running allowance means actual earnings for a Loco Pilot substantially exceed the basic pay scale.
RRB ALP 2026 — आयु सीमा और योग्यता
सहायक लोको पायलट भर्ती (RRB ALP) 2026 के लिए आयु सीमा 01 Jul 2026 को 18 से 30 वर्ष है। OBC-NCL उम्मीदवारों को 3 वर्ष और SC/ST को 5 वर्ष की छूट मिलती है। यह वर्दीधारी पद है, इसलिए दिव्यांग (PwD) उम्मीदवार आवेदन नहीं कर सकते।
शैक्षणिक योग्यता: 10वीं के साथ संबंधित ट्रेड में ITI, या इंजीनियरिंग डिप्लोमा। पदों की संख्या अभी घोषित नहीं · वेतन ₹19,900 से ₹63,200 प्रति माह · आवेदन की तिथियाँ अभी घोषित नहीं।
अपनी योग्यता मुफ़्त जाँचें →RRB ALP 2026 — frequently asked questions
What is the A1 vision standard for RRB ALP?
What trades are eligible for RRB ALP?
What is CBAT in RRB ALP?
What RRB ALP is actually like
An Assistant Loco Pilot begins in the cab beside a driver and progresses to driving goods trains and eventually passenger services. It is skilled, safety-critical work with a clear technical career ladder, and it pays accordingly as you move up.
The life is the thing to be honest about: irregular shifts, nights, and duty that runs to the timetable rather than to a clock. The vision standard is strict and tested without correction for this post specifically, because you are reading signals — candidates who wear glasses should confirm the standard before preparing. The notified trade list is the eligibility gate and it changes between CENs; a certificate in an unlisted trade ends the candidature at document verification regardless of the written score.
On the vision standard specifically, because it ends more ALP candidacies than the written paper does: it is tested without correction for this post, since you are reading signals in varying light and at speed. A candidate who wears glasses should confirm the exact standard in the notification before committing a year, rather than discovering it at the medical.
Verified 2026-08-17 4 of 7 critical fields checked against the official notification. Checked against the notification on www.rrbapply.gov.in ↗.
RRB ALP 2026 — important links
| Apply online | Applications for RRB exams open on www.rrbapply.gov.in ↗ |
| Check your eligibility | Am I eligible for RRB ALP? — free |
| Admit card, result, answer key | Admit cards · Results · Answer keys |
| Syllabus and exam pattern | Selection process for RRB ALP |
| Where RRB publishes them | Admit cards, results and syllabus appear on the official site linked above. |
| How we track this exam | |
| New RRB notices on www.rrbapply.gov.in are picked up every 4 hours; dates read from them are marked until someone confirms them. | |
Questions about RRB ALP
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Vacancy figures, dates and salaries are compiled from official notifications and change between cycles. Age limits vary between posts within the same exam. Always confirm against the official notification on www.rrbapply.gov.in before applying.