East Coast Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026: Apply Online for 1,421 Vacancies

East Coast Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026 Notification out for 1421 ALP, JE, Goods Manager & Clerk posts. Check eligibility, syllabus & apply online!

The East Coast Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026 notification is officially out! Railway Recruitment Cell (RRC) Bhubaneswar has announced a massive hiring drive under the General Departmental Competitive Examination (GDCE) quota.

A total of 1,421 vacancies are up for grabs across multiple safety and non-safety categories, including Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP), Goods Trains Manager, Station Master, Junior Engineer, Technicians, and Clerical roles. Read on for complete details on eligibility, syllabus, salary structures, key dates, and a step-by-step application guide.

East Coast Railway GDCE Recruitment Overview

The General Departmental Competitive Examination (GDCE) quota represents 25% of the net Direct Recruitment Quota vacancies in the East Coast Railway (ECoR) jurisdiction. Regular and eligible employees (excluding RPF/RPSF personnel) holding a lien in ECoR—including the erstwhile Waltair division/SCoR—are invited to register online.

Here is the breakdown of the 1,421 vacancies across categories:

Assistant Loco Pilot (Electrical): 1,046 total posts (Unreserved: 495, SC: 197, ST: 104, OBC: 250)
Goods Trains Manager: 284 total posts (Unreserved: 134, SC: 47, ST: 24, OBC: 79)
Technicians (Grade III): 51 total posts (Unreserved: 27, SC: 7, ST: 3, OBC: 14)
Junior Engineer (Various Disciplines): 22 total posts (Unreserved: 14, SC: 2, ST: 2, OBC: 4, PwBD: 1)
Station Master: 12 total posts (Unreserved: 7, SC: 2, ST: 1, OBC: 2)
Junior Clerk cum Typist: 4 total posts (Unreserved: 1, SC: 1, ST: 1, OBC: 1)
Commercial Clerk cum Ticket Collector: 2 total posts (Unreserved: 1, SC: 0, ST: 0, OBC: 1)

East Coast Railway GDCE Vacancy Details

Vacancies are distributed across the primary operating divisions of East Coast Railway, including Sambalpur (SBP), Waltair (WAT), Khurda Road (KUR), and Mancheswar Workshop (MCS):

Assistant Loco Pilot: Khurda Road leads with 543 posts, followed by Waltair with 300 posts and Sambalpur with 203 posts.
Goods Trains Manager: 120 posts at Khurda Road, 85 posts at Sambalpur, and 79 posts at Waltair.
Junior Engineer: Posts are distributed across Track Machine, P. Way, Works, Bridge, and Design/Drawing/Estimation disciplines across ECoR HQ, Khurda Road, and Waltair divisions.
Technician Grade-III: Positions cover Telecom, AC, TRD/OHE, Power, Track Machine, Fitter, Welder, Blacksmith, Bridge, and Driller across SBP, WAT, KUR, and MCS workshop.
Station Master: 8 posts in Waltair division and 4 posts in Sambalpur division.
Clerical Cadres: 4 Junior Clerk posts at ECoR headquarters and 2 Commercial Clerk cum Ticket Collector posts in Sambalpur.

East Coast Railway GDCE Eligibility Criteria

Educational & Technical Qualifications

Assistant Loco Pilot: Matriculation/SSLC plus ITI/Course Completed Act Apprenticeship in specified trades (Electrician, Fitter, Wireman, Diesel Mechanic, Turner, etc.), OR a 3-year Diploma/Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, or Automobile Engineering.
Station Master & Goods Trains Manager: Graduation / Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline from a recognized university.
Junior Engineer: 3-year Diploma or B.Sc. in Civil, Mechanical, Production, Automobile, Electrical, Electronics, or Instrumentation Engineering (depending on discipline).
Technician Grade III: Matriculation/SSLC plus ITI or Act Apprenticeship in the relevant trade, or 10+2 with Physics and Math for Telecom posts.
Junior Clerk cum Typist & Commercial Clerk: 12th (+2 stage) or equivalent with a minimum of 50% marks in aggregate (50% threshold is relaxed for SC/ST/PwBD candidates and those holding higher qualifications).

Service Eligibility

Candidates must be regular, serving railway employees having a lien in East Coast Railway.
Staff working in a lower pay level than the notified post can apply for all categories.
Staff working in the same pay level can apply for transition from Non-Safety to Safety categories, or Safety to Safety categories.
Employees who have resigned or transferred out of ECoR are ineligible.

Age Limit (As on 01.01.2027)

Unreserved (UR): 18 to 42 years (Born on or after 02.01.1985)
OBC (Non-Creamy Layer): 18 to 45 years (Born on or after 02.01.1982)
SC/ST: 18 to 47 years (Born on or after 02.01.1980)
Lower age limit cut-off for all categories is 01.01.2009.

Salary Details for East Coast Railway GDCE Recruitment

Selected candidates will be placed into the respective Pay Matrix Levels under the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC), along with applicable allowances standard to Indian Railways service rules:

Station Master & Junior Engineer: Pay Level 6
Goods Trains Manager: Pay Level 5
Commercial Clerk cum Ticket Collector: Pay Level 3
Assistant Loco Pilot, Technician Grade III, and Junior Clerk cum Typist: Pay Level 2

Job Location

Selected candidates will be posted in any division or unit under the jurisdiction of East Coast Railway (including Khurda Road, Sambalpur, Waltair, ECoR Headquarters Bhubaneswar, and Mancheswar Workshop) based on administrative requirements and operational demands.

Selection Process for East Coast Railway GDCE Recruitment

Selection across all categories is strictly merit-based. Depending on the post, the selection phases consist of the following:

1. Computer Based Test (CBT)

ALP & Technicians: 100 questions covering Mathematics (25), Reasoning (25), Science/Engineering (25), and Trade section (25) for ALP; or Science (40), Math (25), Reasoning (25), and General Awareness (10) for Technicians. Duration is 90 to 120 minutes.
Station Master & Goods Trains Manager: 120 objective questions (General Awareness: 50, Math: 35, Reasoning: 35) with 90 minutes duration.
Junior Engineer: 150 questions (Technical Ability: 100, Physics & Chemistry: 15, General Awareness: 15, Computers: 10, Environment: 10) with 120 minutes duration.
Clerical Posts: 120 objective questions covering General Awareness, Mathematics, and Reasoning.

Note: There is 1/3rd negative marking for incorrect answers in CBT. Minimum qualifying marks are UR: 40%, OBC: 30%, SC: 30%, ST: 25%.

2. Aptitude & Skill Tests (Where Applicable)

Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT): Conducted for ALP and Station Master posts for candidates shortlisted at 8 times the vacancy count. A minimum T-score of 42 in each battery is required. No negative marking applies.
Computer Based Typing Skill Test (CBTST): Conducted for Junior Clerk cum Typist. Qualifying speed is 30 WPM in English or 25 WPM in Hindi.

3. Document Verification & Medical Examination

Candidates equal to the number of vacancies are shortlisted based on CBT/CBAT merit for Document Verification.
Candidates must meet the prescribed medical fitness standards (e.g., A-1 for ALP, A-2 for Station Master/Goods Guard, A-3/B-1/B-2/C-1/C-2 for other posts). Candidates applying for A-1/A-2 posts must not have undergone LASIK surgery.

How to Apply for East Coast Railway GDCE Recruitment

Applications are accepted strictly online via the RRC Bhubaneswar official portal. Follow these steps:

Visit the official RRC Bhubaneswar website (www.rrcbbs.org.in).
Click on the link for GDCE 2026 Online Application.
Enter your personal details, HRMS ID, IPAS ID, and service details accurately.
Upload your scanned passport-size color photograph (35mm x 45mm, 10 KB–100 KB, JPEG format) and signature (Black ink, 10 KB–40 KB).
Upload self-attested copies of educational qualifications, matriculation certificate, caste certificate, and supervisory endorsements.
Submit the online form and obtain your unique Application Registration Number.
Print out the hard copy of the submitted application form, get it officially forwarded by your Immediate Controlling Officer, and upload the signed forwarded copy back into the portal.

Important Dates

Date of Official Notification Publication: August 07, 2026
Opening Date for Online Registration: August 15, 2026
Closing Date for Online Registration: September 14, 2026
Cut-Off Date for Age Limit: January 01, 2027
CBT Examination Dates: To be announced on the RRC BBS website

Required Documents for East Coast Railway GDCE Recruitment

Keep clear scanned copies ready before starting the online application:

Passport-size recent color photograph (not older than 3 months, white background, no glasses/caps)
Signature in running handwriting using black ink (block letters are rejected)
Matriculation / SSLC Certificate (proof of Date of Birth)
ITI / Apprenticeship / Diploma / Degree certificates and semester mark sheets
Valid Caste Certificate (SC/ST as per Annexure-C; OBC-NCL as per Annexure-D with self-declaration Annexure-E)
Disability Certificate and Scribe Undertaking (for PwBD candidates where applicable)
Hard copy of application duly forwarded by your Controlling Officer

Important Instructions

Ensure your mobile number and personal e-mail address remain active throughout the recruitment cycle, as updates will be communicated exclusively via SMS and e-mail.
Signatures must be consistent across all stages (CBT, CBAT, DV, Medical) in running script; variations will lead to disqualification.
Do not attempt to bring electronic items, smartwatches, or metallic items into the CBT hall.
Post preferences selected during the initial submission are final and cannot be modified later.
Always cross-check that your name, father’s name, and date of birth match your service book and matriculation certificate exactly.

Important Links for East Coast Railway GDCE Recruitment

Official RRC Bhubaneswar Portal: www.rrcbbs.org.in
Technical Support Email: rrcecor@gmail.com / support@ecorbbs.in
RRC Helpline Number: 0674-2303106 / 7303484063 (Working days, 10:00 AM to 05:00 PM)
Download Notification

Final Words on East Coast Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026

The East Coast Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026 is an exceptional growth opportunity for serving railway personnel across Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and neighboring units. With 1,421 posts across diverse technical and operational fields, dedicated preparation for the CBT and technical aptitude tests can fast-track your career into higher pay levels. Make sure to complete your registration well ahead of the September 14, 2026 deadline to avoid last-minute portal congestion.

FAQs

1. Who can apply for East Coast Railway GDCE Recruitment 2026?

Regular serving employees having a lien in East Coast Railway (including Waltair, Khurda Road, and Sambalpur divisions) possessing the requisite qualifications can apply. RPF and RPSF personnel are excluded.

2. Is there an application fee for GDCE?

No, departmental examinations conducted through GDCE do not charge an application fee for serving railway employees.

3. Can I apply for multiple posts in one application?

Yes, eligible candidates can apply for multiple posts using a single online application form by selecting their post preferences.

4. What is the upper age limit for general category candidates?

The upper age limit for Unreserved (UR) candidates is 42 years as of January 1, 2027. Relaxation applies for OBC (45 years) and SC/ST (47 years).

5. Will candidates who have undergone LASIK surgery qualify for ALP or Station Master?

No, candidates who have undergone LASIK or any other refractive eye surgery procedure are ineligible for posts requiring A-1 or A-2 medical vision standards.