Southern Railway Act Apprentice 2026-27 notification is out for 4,471 training slots — 163 Fresher and 4,308 Ex-ITI — across workshops and divisions under Southern Railway. Soft note: Notification No. 01/2026, dated 28 August 2026.
Read this first: soft note — only candidates from Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, SPSR Nellore & Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh), and Dakshina Kannada (Karnataka) can apply. Soft note: if you are outside this list, this particular notification is not for you.
Advt: CPB/P1/98/Act/TP/Vol.XXI · Apply: 28 Aug – 27 Sep 2026 (till 17:00) · Slots: 4,471 · Fee: ₹100 (waived SC/ST/PwBD/Women) · DV shortlist: soft note ~15 Oct 2026
Hub: Railway Jobs · Latest Jobs · Related: East Coast Railway Act Apprentice · NFR Act Apprentice · RRC NCR Apprentice
Quick Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Office of the Chief Workshop Manager, Carriage & Wagon Works, Perambur, Chennai |
| Notification | 01/2026 · CPB/P1/98/Act/TP/Vol.XXI · 28-08-2026 |
| Total slots | 4,471 (soft note: tentative) — 163 Fresher + 4,308 Ex-ITI |
| Apply online | 28-08-2026 to 27-09-2026, till 17:00 hrs |
| Portal | sronline.etrpindia.com — RRC Chennai Apprentice |
| Official page | SR Act Apprentice 2026-27 |
| Processing fee | ₹100 · Waived for SC/ST/PwBD/Women |
| Selection | Soft note: merit on marks → document verification → medical (no written exam) |
Soft note: this is training under the Apprentices Act, not a regular railway job offer. Soft note: the contract ends when training completes; there is no guarantee of employment. Soft note: separately, up to 20% of future Level-1 direct-recruitment vacancies may give preference to candidates who complete this apprenticeship and hold a National Apprenticeship Certificate — that is a future recruitment possibility, not appointment from this engagement.
Fresher vs Ex-ITI
| Fresher | Ex-ITI | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | 10th/12th pass, no ITI course done | Already holds NCVT/SCVT certificate in the trade |
| Trades | Soft note: mainly Fitter, Welder, Painter, MLT | Soft note: 20+ trades (Fitter, Electrician, Welder, Machinist, Turner, Carpenter, Wireman, Draughtsman Civil, COPA, and more) |
| Slots | 163 (~4%) | 4,308 (~96%) |
| Locations | Soft note: mostly Perambur, Ponmalai, Podanur S&T | Soft note: every division under Southern Railway as listed |
If you already have an ITI certificate, soft note: you almost always apply under Ex-ITI — that pool is more than 26× larger than Fresher.
Where the Ex-ITI vacancies are (workshop groups)
| Workshop group | Ex-ITI vacancies (soft note) |
|---|---|
| Carriage & Wagon Works, Perambur (incl. Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli divisions) | 1,528 |
| Central Workshops, Ponmalai (incl. Madurai & Tiruchirappalli divisions) | 1,292 |
| Signal & Telecom Workshop, Podanur (incl. Palakkad, Salem, Trivandrum divisions) | 1,488 |
Soft note: larger single postings called out in the draft include Fitter at Mechanical C&W, Perambur (~187), Electrician at Salem Division (~152), and Fitter at Central Workshops, Ponmalai (~117) — confirm exact trade-wise tables in the official notification.
Fresher trade breakdown (163 slots)
| Trade | Slots |
|---|---|
| Fitter | 85 |
| Welder | 38 |
| Painter | 42 |
| MLT (Radiology / Pathology / Cardiology combined) | 20 |
| Total | 163 |
Soft note: MLT split (as summarised) — Cardiology 9, Pathology 8, Radiology 3 — all at Railway Hospital, Perambur. Soft note: vacancies are tentative; SC/ST/OBC/PwBD reservations apply as notified.
Stipend
| Category | Monthly stipend (soft note) |
|---|---|
| Fresher – 10th std | ₹8,200 |
| Fresher – 12th std (MLT) | ₹9,600 |
| Ex-ITI | ₹9,600 |
Soft note: stipend rises 10% in year 2 and a further 15% in year 3 on the base rate. Soft note: prior recognised training time may count toward stipend calculation as per Council rules.
Training duration
| Category | Trade | Duration (soft note) |
|---|---|---|
| Fresher | Welder | 1 year 3 months |
| Fresher | Fitter, Painter | 2 years |
| Fresher | MLT (all specialisations) | 1 year 3 months |
| Ex-ITI | All trades | Rebated per Schedule-I, Apprentices Rules 1992 (shorter than Fresher for the same trade) |
Age limit (as on 28-08-2026)
- Fresher: 15 to 22 years
- Ex-ITI and MLT: 15 to 24 years
| Category | Relaxation (soft note) |
|---|---|
| OBC-NCL | 3 years |
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| PwBD (UR/EWS) | 10 years |
| PwBD + OBC-NCL | 13 years |
| PwBD + SC/ST | 15 years |
Eligibility highlights (Ex-ITI)
Soft note: most Ex-ITI trades need 10th pass with minimum 50% aggregate + ITI in the matching trade (NCVT/SCVT). Soft note: SC/ST and PwBD are exempt from the 50% aggregate rule.
| Trade | Extra requirement beyond standard 10th + ITI (soft note) |
|---|---|
| Electrician | Science as one of the 10th subjects |
| Electronics Mechanic | Science (Physics & Chemistry) and Mathematics in 10th |
| Secretarial Assistant & Stenographer (English) | 12th pass required |
| ICTSM | 10th under 10+2 system + ITI as notified |
| COPA/PASAA | NTC specifically in Computer Operator and Programming Assistant |
Soft note: engineering graduates / diploma / vocational holders with a year or more of post-qualification training or job experience are generally not eligible as trade apprentices under these rules — confirm exact wording before applying.
How merit is calculated
| Category | Merit formula (soft note) | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Fresher | Matriculation marks converted to a score out of 200 | 50% aggregate (waived SC/ST/PwBD) |
| Ex-ITI | Matriculation (to 100) + ITI (to 100) = 200 | 50% in Matriculation (waived SC/ST/PwBD) |
| MLT | Higher Secondary (Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Biology) converted to 200 | 50% aggregate (waived SC/ST/PwBD) |
| Tie-breaker | Older candidate; if DOB matches, earlier Matriculation pass date | — |
Soft note: Kerala General Education nine-point grade marksheets are converted using the midpoint of each grade band as described in the notification — do not invent a different conversion formula.
Documents for verification
Soft note: keep originals ready for DV — Transfer Certificate; caste / OBC-NCL (current year + non-creamy-layer self-declaration where applicable); disability certificate with correct sub-category; medical fitness from a Gazetted Assistant Surgeon or above at a Central/State Govt hospital per Schedule-II of the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992.
How to Apply
- Open the Southern Railway Act Apprentice apply portal (also listed under SR Act Apprentice 2026-27).
- Confirm you fall within the eligible geography listed above — soft note: residence is checked, not only declared.
- Fill education details and trade preference for Fresher or Ex-ITI.
- Pay ₹100 online unless you are SC/ST/PwBD/Women (fee waived).
- Submit and download the system acknowledgement — soft note: carry a printout to document verification.
Official Southern Railway / RRC Chennai apprentice portal only — verify region eligibility before paying
Apply Online (Direct Link) SR Official Notification PageCommon Mistakes
| Mistake | Why it hurts |
|---|---|
| Applying from outside the listed states/districts | Soft note: region filter is hard — applications can be rejected |
| Choosing Fresher when you already have ITI | Wrong category / trade options |
| Ignoring the “training ≠ job” rule | Soft note: no employment guarantee after apprenticeship |
| Missing OBC-NCL self-declaration | Soft note: may be treated as UR for age/reservation |
| Skipping acknowledgement printout | Needed at DV |
Official Links
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Apply online (direct) | sronline.etrpindia.com — RRC Chennai Apprentice 26 |
| SR Act Apprentice 2026-27 page | Personnel Branch — Act Apprentice |
| Southern Railway home | sr.indianrailways.gov.in |
| Related | ECoR Act Apprentice · NFR Act Apprentice |
Quick recap: Southern Railway Act Apprentice 2026-27 → 4,471 tentative slots (163 Fresher / 4,308 Ex-ITI) → apply 28 Aug–27 Sep 2026 (17:00) → region-restricted → fee ₹100 (waived SC/ST/PwBD/Women) → merit on marks, then DV/medical → training only, not a guaranteed job. Soft note: confirm every figure on the official SR page before you pay.