Southern Railway has released Notification No. 01/2026, dated 28 August 2026, inviting online applications for 4,471 Act Apprentice seats under the Apprentices Act, 1961 — spread across Carriage & Wagon Works Perambur, Central Workshops Ponmalai, Signal & Telecommunication Workshop Podanur, and multiple Divisions within Southern Railway’s jurisdiction. Applications are open from 28 August to 27 September 2026.
1. Recruitment Overview
This is one of the largest single Act Apprentice notifications any Indian Railway zone has released this year — nearly 4,500 seats, split between candidates with only a Class 10 pass (Freshers) and candidates who’ve already completed an ITI trade certificate (Ex-ITI). What makes this drive distinctive is its strict regional eligibility filter: only residents of specific southern states and districts can apply — there’s no open-to-all-India window here.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Recruiting Zone | Southern Railway (Office of the Chief Workshop Manager, Carriage & Wagon Works, Perambur) |
| Notification No. | 01/2026 |
| Notification Date | 28 August 2026 |
| Total Vacancies | 4,471 (163 Fresher + 4,308 Ex-ITI) |
| Units Covered | Carriage & Wagon Works Perambur, Central Workshops Ponmalai, S&T Workshop Podanur, plus multiple Divisions |
| Nature of Engagement | Apprenticeship training under Apprentices Act, 1961 — no employment guarantee |
| Application Mode | Online only |
| Official Website | www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in → News & Updates → Personnel Branch Information |
With 4,308 of the 4,471 seats reserved for the Ex-ITI category — an overwhelming 96% — this notification is heavily tilted toward candidates who’ve already completed a trade certificate, rather than fresh Class 10 pass-outs. If you’re still deciding whether to complete an ITI course before applying to a Railway apprenticeship, this cycle makes a strong case for doing so first.
2. Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Date | 28 August 2026 |
| Online Application Opening Date | 28 August 2026 |
| Online Application Closing Date | 27 September 2026, till 17:00 Hrs |
| Tentative Date for Publishing Shortlist for Document Verification | 15 October 2026 |
You get exactly a month to apply. Since the shortlist for document verification is expected barely two weeks after the application window closes, candidates should get their certificates and documents in order well before submitting, rather than waiting to see if they’re shortlisted first.
3. Who Can Apply — Regional Eligibility (Read This First)
This is the single most important eligibility filter in the entire notification, and it’s worth checking before anything else. Only candidates residing in the following locations, within Southern Railway’s geographical jurisdiction, are eligible to apply:
- The whole state of Tamil Nadu
- The whole Union Territory of Puducherry
- The whole state of Kerala
- The Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep
- Only two districts of Andhra Pradesh — SPSR Nellore and Chittoor
- Only one district of Karnataka — Dakshina Kannada
If you live outside these specific states/districts, you are not eligible to apply under this particular notification, regardless of your qualifications.
4. Vacancy Details
The 4,471 seats split into two categories — Fresher (163 seats) and Ex-ITI (4,308 seats) — spread across three major Workshop clusters and their associated Divisions.
Fresher Category — 163 Seats
| Unit | Trades Covered | Total Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Carriage & Wagon Works, Perambur | Fitter, Welder, Painter | 80 |
| Central Workshop, Ponmalai | Fitter, Welder (G&E) | 43 |
| S&T Workshop, Podanur (Coimbatore) | Fitter | 20 |
| Railway Hospital, Perambur | MLT (Radiology, Pathology, Cardiology) | 20 |
| Fresher’s Grand Total | 163 |
Ex-ITI Category — 4,308 Seats (grouped by Workshop cluster)
| Workshop Cluster | Divisions/Units Included | Sub-Total Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Carriage & Wagon Works, Perambur (CW) | Perambur Works + Chennai Division (Personnel, Elec/RS/RPM, Elec/RS/AVD, ELS/RS/AJJ, DME/DSL/TNP, Elec/RS/TBM, Mechanical C&W, Engineering) + Electrical Workshop Perambur + Engineering Workshop Arakkonam + Engineering HQ/SR + Loco Works Perambur + Railway Hospital Perambur | 1,528 |
| Central Workshops, Ponmalai (GOC) | Ponmalai Workshop + Madurai Division + Tiruchirappalli Division | 1,292 |
| S&T Workshop, Podanur (Coimbatore) | Podanur Workshop + Palakkad Division + Salem Division + Trivandrum Division | 1,488 |
| Ex-ITI Grand Total | 4,308 |
Widest openings by individual trade (Ex-ITI category): Fitter and Electrician together dominate almost every Division listed — for instance, Fitter alone accounts for 187 seats in Mechanical C&W and 142 seats in Loco Works Perambur, making it comfortably the single most-recruited trade across this entire notification.
Trades covered across the notification include: Fitter, Welder (G&E), Painter, Advance Welder, Turner, Machinist, Electrician, Wireman, Electronics Mechanic, Diesel Mechanic, Mechanic R&AC, Mechanic Motor Vehicle (MMV), Mechanic Machine Tool Maintenance (MMTM), Carpenter, Plumber, Structural Welder, Gas Cutter, Draughtsman (Civil), Instrument Mechanic, ICTSM, COPA, PASAA, Stenographer (English) & Secretarial Assistant (SSA), and Medical Laboratory Technician in Radiology, Pathology, and Cardiology streams.
Important caveat directly from Southern Railway: All vacancy figures above are tentative and subject to change, and reserved-category seats (SC/ST/OBC/PwBD) follow the prescribed government quota for each category.
5. Eligibility Criteria
Educational Qualification — Fresher Category
| Trade | Qualification |
|---|---|
| Fitter, Painter & Welder | Passed 10th Class with minimum 50% aggregate marks (10+2 system or equivalent) |
| Medical Laboratory Technician (Radiology, Pathology, Cardiology) | Passed 12th Class with minimum 50% aggregate marks, with Physics, Chemistry and Biology |
Educational Qualification — Ex-ITI Category
| Trade Group | Qualification |
|---|---|
| Fitter, Machinist, MMV, Turner, Diesel Mechanic, Carpenter, Painter, Welder (G&E), Wireman, Advance Welder, Plumber, Draughtsman (Civil), Instrument Mechanic, Mechanic R&AC, Gas Cutter, MMTM, Structural Welder | Passed 10th Class (min. 50% aggregate) + ITI in the relevant trade from a Government-recognised institute, with NCVT/SCVT certification |
| Electrician | Same as above, but 10th Class must include Science as a subject |
| Electronics Mechanic | Same as above, but 10th Class must include Science (Physics & Chemistry) and Mathematics |
| Secretarial Assistant & Stenographer (English) | Passed 12th Class + ITI in the relevant trade with NCVT/SCVT certification |
| ICTSM (Information & Communication Technology System Maintenance) | Passed 10th Class + ITI in the relevant trade with NCVT/SCVT certification |
| COPA/PASAA | Passed 10th Class (min. 50% aggregate) + National Trade Certificate in “Computer Operator and Programming Assistant” |
Marks relaxation: The minimum 50% aggregate in Class 10 does not apply to SC/ST/PwBD candidates.
Who is NOT eligible: Course Completed Act Apprentices, Engineering Graduates, Diploma holders, or Vocational Certificate holders who already have one year or more of training or job experience after obtaining their qualification are barred from applying as a trade apprentice under these rules.
Age Limit (as on date of notification, 28 August 2026)
| Category | Age Range |
|---|---|
| Fresher | 15 to 22 years |
| Ex-ITI / MLT | 15 to 24 years |
Age Relaxation:
| Category | Relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | 3 years |
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| PwBD (General/EWS) | 10 years |
| PwBD + OBC-NCL | 13 years |
| PwBD + SC/ST | 15 years |
Period of Training:
| Category | Trade | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Fresher | Welder | 1 year 3 months |
| Fresher | Fitter & Painter | 2 years |
| Fresher | Medical Laboratory Technician (all streams) | 1 year 3 months |
| Ex-ITI | All trades | Rebate applies as per Schedule-I of Apprentices Rules, 1992 |
6. Selection Process
There’s no written examination anywhere in this recruitment — Southern Railway has kept selection entirely merit-based, calculated differently for each category.
Fresher Category: Marks obtained in Matriculation (Class 10) are converted to a score out of 200. The merit list is drawn directly from this converted score, with a minimum 50% aggregate required in Matriculation (not applicable to SC/ST/PwBD candidates).
Ex-ITI Category: Matriculation marks are converted to 100, and ITI marks are separately converted to 100 — the two are added together for a total out of 200, giving equal weightage to both your Class 10 result and your ITI performance.
MLT Category: Marks from Higher Secondary (Physics, Chemistry, Maths & Biology) are converted to a score out of 200, following the same minimum 50% aggregate principle as the Fresher category.
Tie-breaker rule: If two candidates have identical marks, the older candidate is preferred. If their dates of birth also match, the candidate who passed Matriculation earlier gets precedence.
Document Verification: Shortlisted candidates must produce original certificates — including the original Transfer Certificate for their qualifying examination (Class 10/12/ITI) — at the time of verification. Reserved-category candidates must additionally produce their Caste Certificate (SC/ST) or OBC Non-Creamy Layer certificate valid for the current year, along with a self-declaration form — failing which they will be treated as Unreserved (UR) category with the corresponding age limit.
Medical Examination: Candidates must meet the minimum physical fitness standards specified in Schedule-II of the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992, and submit a medical certificate signed by a Government-authorised Assistant Surgeon (or above) from a Central/State Government hospital.
PwBD reservation: Persons with Benchmark Disabilities get 4% reservation across five disability categories, as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. The notification includes a detailed trade-by-trade suitability chart specifying exactly which disability categories are eligible for each of the 26 designated trades.
7. Salary & Stipend Structure
| Category | Monthly Stipend |
|---|---|
| Fresher – 10th Std (Fitter, Painter, Welder) | ₹8,200 |
| Fresher – 12th Std (Medical Laboratory Technician) | ₹9,600 |
| Ex-ITI (all trades) | ₹9,600 |
Year-on-year increment: Stipend rises by 10% in the second year of training, and a further 15% (over the prescribed minimum) in the third year — relevant mainly for candidates in longer training tracks like the 2-year Fresher Fitter/Painter category.
No employment guarantee, stated explicitly: This notification is purely for apprenticeship training, not for employment. The apprenticeship contract automatically ends on completion of training. That said, 20% of vacancies in future Direct Recruitment through RRCs for Level-1 posts may give preference to Course Completed Act Apprentices (CCAAs) trained in railway establishments and holding a National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) — a meaningful, though not guaranteed, pathway worth knowing about.
Consequences of walking away early: Candidates who are willfully absent, or whose surety represents on their behalf during the engagement, are required to refund the full cost of their training and any stipend already received, as determined by the Central Apprenticeship Adviser.
8. Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General/OBC (Male candidates) | ₹100 (non-refundable) |
| SC/ST/PwBD/Women candidates | Nil |
Fee must be paid online only. Candidates are advised to print the system-generated payment acknowledgement, since it needs to be submitted at the time of Document Verification.
9. How to Apply
- Visit the official Southern Railway website: www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in
- Navigate to News & Updates → Personnel Branch Information.
- Locate Notification No. 01/2026 for Engagement of Act Apprentices.
- Confirm you meet the regional residency requirement outlined in Section 3 above before proceeding.
- Register and complete the online application form with personal, educational, and category details.
- Select your preferred trade and unit, based on your qualification and category (Fresher or Ex-ITI).
- Upload your documents, photograph, and signature as per the prescribed format.
- Pay the applicable fee online, if not exempted.
- Review every detail carefully before final submission, then download your confirmation for future reference.
All further communication — including shortlists, document verification schedules, and eligibility updates — will be published only on this same link. There’s no separate email or postal notification system, so bookmark the page and check it regularly.
Documents to keep ready for Document Verification:
- Original Transfer Certificate for your qualifying exam (10th/12th/ITI)
- ITI National Trade Certificate (NCVT/SCVT), for Ex-ITI candidates
- Caste Certificate (SC/ST) or OBC Non-Creamy Layer certificate valid for the current year, where applicable
- Disability certificate from a Competent Medical Authority, where applicable
- Medical fitness certificate signed by a Government-authorised Assistant Surgeon or above
- Printout of your online fee payment acknowledgement
10. Frequently Asked Questions
4,471 seats — 163 under the Fresher category and 4,308 under the Ex-ITI category.
27 September 2026, till 17:00 Hrs. Applications opened on 28 August 2026.
Only residents of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, two districts of Andhra Pradesh (SPSR Nellore, Chittoor), and one district of Karnataka (Dakshina Kannada)
No. Selection is purely merit-based, using converted Matriculation and/or ITI marks depending on category.
15 to 22 years for Freshers; 15 to 24 years for Ex-ITI and MLT candidates, with relaxation for OBC/SC/ST/PwBD categories.
₹100 for General/OBC male candidates; no fee for SC/ST/PwBD/Women candidates.
₹8,200/month for 10th-Std Freshers; ₹9,600/month for 12th-Std Freshers and all Ex-ITI candidates, with yearly increments.
No — there is no employment guarantee. However, 20% of future Level-1 Direct Recruitment vacancies may give preference to candidates holding a National Apprenticeship Certificate.
Tentatively on 15 October 2026, on the same official Southern Railway link used for application.
No — candidates with a Degree, Diploma, or one year or more of work experience after their qualification are not eligible.
11. Official Links
- Official Notification PDF: https://sronline.etrpindia.com/rrcchennaiapprentice26/notifications/Act%20Apprentices%20Notification%202026-27%20with%20enclosures.pdf
- Application Portal: https://sronline.etrpindia.com/rrcchennaiapprentice26/recruitmentIndex
- Official Southern Railway Website: https://www.sr.indianrailways.gov.in
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