What are the RRB ALP Eligibility Criteria 2026?

Applicants must have an Engineering Diploma or Matriculation with ITI qualification. The age limit is 18 to 30 years.

Are there age relaxations in RRB ALP 2026 for certain categories?

Yes, age relaxations are provided for specific categories. Details can be found in the provided table.

What are the educational qualifications required for RRB ALP 2026?

Candidates need a diploma in engineering to apply for the Assistant Loco Pilot position.

I have undergone LASIK surgery. Am I eligible to apply?

Candidates who have undergone LASIK surgery are not eligible for posts that require Medical Standards A1

I wear glasses. Am I eligible for ALP?

If your uncorrected (without glasses) distance vision is not 6/6 in both eyes, you do not meet the A-1 medical standard for ALP. Check with an ophthalmologist before applying.

RRB ALP Eligibility Criteria, Age Limit, Qualification Details

Table of Contents

RRB ALP eligibility criteria, including age limit, qualification, and citizenship, are announced along with the notification. Before applying for the RRB Assistant Loco Pilot posts, candidates must carefully check the age limit, educational qualification and other criteria.

RRB ALP Eligibility Criteria 2026- Highlights

Eligibility Criteria	Details
Nationality	Indian / Specified categories
Age Limit	18 to 30 years
Age Reference Date	As of 1st July 2026
Educational Qualification	10th + ITI (relevant trade) OR Engineering Diploma/Degree
Medical Standard	A-1 (strictest category)
Application Portal	www.rrbapply.gov.in

Age Limit

Minimum Age	Maximum Age	Age Reference Date
18 years	30 years	1st July 2026

The table below provides complete details regarding the minimum and maximum age limits, along with category-wise age criteria.

Age Group (in years)	The upper limit of Date of Birth (Not before)	The lower limit of Date of Birth (Not after)	UR & EWS	OBC (NCL)	SC & ST	All Candidates
18 – 30	02.07.1991	02.07.1988	02.07.1986	01.07.2006	–	–

Age Relaxations

The Board provides age relaxation for certain candidate categories. The table below outlines the specific age relaxations applicable to these categories.

Category	Age Relaxation
OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)	3 years
SC	5 years
ST	5 years

Age Relaxation for Ex-Servicemen/PwD/Railway Employees/Special Category Candidates

Category	Age Relaxation
Ex-Servicemen (UR & EWS) candidates who have put in more than 6 months of service after attestation	3 years (after deduction of service length from age)
Ex-Servicemen (OBC & NCL) candidates who have put in more than 6 months of service after attestation	6 years (after deduction of service length from age)
Ex-Servicemen (SC & ST) candidates who have put in more than 6 months of service after attestation	8 years (after deduction of service length from age)
Persons with Disabilities (PWD) UR	10
PWD OBC Non-Creamy Layer	13
PWD SC/ST	15
Candidates have ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period from 01.01.1980 to 31.12.1989	5
Candidates who are serving Group ‘C’ and Former Group ‘D’ Railway Staff, Casual Labor, and Substitutes in Railways who have put in a minimum of three years’ service (continuous or in broken spells) of UR Category.	40
Candidates who are serving Group ‘C’ and Former Group ‘D’ Railway Staff, Casual Labor, and Substitutes in Railways who have put in a minimum of three years’ service (continuous or in interrupted spells) of OBC-NCL (Non-Creamy Layer) Category.	43
Candidates who are serving Group ‘C’ and Former Group ‘D’ Railway Staff, Casual Labor, and Substitutes in Railways who have put in a minimum of three years of service (continuous or in interrupted spells) of the SC/ST Category.	45
Candidates working in quasi-administrative offices of the railway organization, such as railway canteens, cooperative societies, and institutes.	Up to the period of service provided (or) 5 years, whichever is less.
Women candidates who are bereaved, divorced, or judicially separated from their husbands but have not remarried in the UR Category	35
Women candidates who are widowed, divorced, or judicially separated from their husbands but have not remarried from the OBC-NCL (Non-Creamy Layer) Category	38
Women candidates who are bereaved, divorced, or judicially separated from their husbands but have not remarried from the SC/ST category	40
Course Completed Act Apprentices are applying for positions that need a minimum qualification of ITI/Course Completed Act Apprenticeship.	Shall be relaxed to the extent of their apprenticeship training under the Apprentice Act of 1961.
Candidates who are Course Completed Act Apprentices under the Apprenticeship Act before reaching the age of 25 years in the UR Category.	35
Candidates who are Course Completed Act Apprentice under the Apprenticeship Act before achieving the age of 25 years in the OBC-NCL (Non-Creamy Layer) Category	38
Candidates who are Course Completed Act Apprentices under the Apprenticeship Act before reaching the age of 25 years in the SC/ST Category.	40

Educational Qualification

The ALP post requires technical qualifications; a plain graduation degree is not sufficient. The department-wise specific qualification requirement is mentioned below.

Department	Qualifications
Electrical	Matriculation / SSLC plus ITI from recognized institutions of NCVT/SCVT OR Matriculation / SSLC plus Course Completed Act Apprenticeship OR 3 years Diploma in Electrical Engineering OR A combination of various streams of these Engineering disciplines from a recognized Institution instead of ITI.
Mechanical	Matriculation / SSLC plus ITI from recognized institutions of NCVT/SCVT OR Matriculation / SSLC plus Course Completed Act Apprenticeship OR 3-year Diploma in Mechanical Engineering A combination of various streams of these Engineering disciplines from a recognized Institution instead of ITI

Q. Can Engineering graduates apply?
Yes, a B.Tech or B.E. degree in a relevant discipline is acceptable.

Q. What counts as “relevant trade”?
Trades like Electrician, Fitter, Wireman, Mechanic (Motor Vehicle), Diesel Mechanic, Turner, Machinist, and others are generally accepted. The complete list of approved trades is published in the detailed CEN.

Q. Is a plain 10th pass enough?
No. You must have ITI or a diploma/degree in addition to matriculation.

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Nationality

Nationality is one of the primary elements of the three in the ALP Eligibility criteria. RRB accepts applications from candidates who are:

A citizen of India
Nepali and Bhutanese subjects.
A Tibetan refugee who travelled to India before January 1, 1962, to permanently live in India,
A person of Indian origin who has permanently settled in India after migrating from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, or Vietnam.

Note for migrated candidates: You may be required to submit a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India along with your application.

Medical Standards

Candidates who clear the document verification stage are required to undergo a medical fitness test conducted by the Railway Administration. This is the most important and most overlooked part of ALP eligibility.

For ALP specifically, the applicable medical standard is A-1, which is the strictest category in Indian Railways.

Medical Standards
Medical Standard	General Fitness	Visual Acuity
A-1	Physically fit in all respects	Distance Vision: 6/6, 6/6 without glasses, with fogging test (cannot accept +2D). Near Vision: Sn: 0.6,0.6 without glasses; must pass exams for colour vision, binocular vision, the field of vision, night vision, mesopic vision, and so forth.
B-1	Physically fit in all respects	Distance Vision: 6/9, 6/12 with or without glasses (lens power not to exceed 4D). Near Vision: Sn: 0.6, 0.6 with or without glasses when reading or doing close work, and must pass tests for colour vision, binocular vision, night vision, mesopic vision, and so on.
B-2	Physically fit in all respects	Distance Vision: 6/9, 6/12 with or without glasses (lens power not to exceed 4D). Near Vision: Sn: 0.6, 0.6 with or without glasses for reading or doing close work, and must pass the Binocular Vision test, among other requirements.
C-1	Physically fit in all respects	Distance Vision: 6/12, 6/18 (with or without glasses). Near Vision: Sn: 0.6, either with or without glasses, when reading or doing near work

The 6/6, 6/6 without glasses requirement means that if you wear spectacles or contact lenses for distance vision, you are not eligible for the ALP post under standard A-1. This disqualifies a large number of otherwise capable candidates.