The Railway Recruitment Boards have opened CEN 04/2026 for 3,993 Junior Engineer (JE), Depot Material Superintendent (DMS) and Chemical & Metallurgical Assistant (CMA) posts. Online applications run from 14 August 2026 to 13 September 2026 (11:59 pm) at rrbapply.gov.in. Fee can be paid until 15 September 2026. Pay is Level-6 of the 7th CPC, with initial basic pay of ₹35,400.
This explainer is for diploma and degree engineers who need the dates, eligibility, fee refund, the one-RRB rule, and the apply steps in one place. Treat the official CEN PDF as final if any figure here differs.
RRB JE 2026 key dates
Notification: 13 August 2026
Apply online: 14 August 2026 to 13 September 2026, 11:59 pm
Last date for fee payment: 15 September 2026
Modification window: 16 to 25 September 2026 (₹250 per change; RRB, email and mobile cannot be changed)
Scribe details: 26 to 30 September 2026
Age counted as on: 1 January 2027
CBT-1 / CBT-2 / DV / medical: to be announced
Apply on rrbapply.gov.in. Regional boards are listed from rrb.indianrailways.gov.in. Download CEN 04/2026 from the RRB you intend to choose before you create an account.
How many vacancies?
The CEN lists 3,993 posts across 21 RRBs. RRB says the table is provisional and can rise or fall. Community-wise split reported with the notification:
UR: 1,699
OBC-NCL: 913
SC: 624
EWS: 394
ST: 363
Horizontal reservations include Ex-Servicemen and PwBD. Department groups in the same notice: Engineering 1,638, Mechanical 1,125, Electrical 599, Stores 324, S&T 307. The largest single lines are typically JE / Permanent Way, JE / Works, JE / Carriage and Wagon, and Depot Material Superintendent. Check Annexure A/B of the PDF for the post you actually want.
Who can apply?
Age
Minimum 18, maximum 33, as on 1 January 2027. Relaxation is allowed only with the right certificate, and only against the community you claim:
SC / ST: 5 years
OBC-NCL: 3 years
PwBD: 10 years (UR/EWS), 13 (OBC-NCL), 15 (SC/ST)
Ex-Servicemen: after deducting service, plus 3 / 6 / 8 years by community (minimum six months’ service after attestation)
If you apply against an unreserved vacancy, SC/ST/OBC relaxation does not apply. If you qualify on more than one ground, you get the single largest relaxation, not the sum.
Qualification
Junior Engineer: three-year diploma in the relevant engineering stream, or B.E. / B.Tech in the same stream. For some civil posts, a three-year B.Sc. in Civil Engineering is also listed.
Depot Material Superintendent: three-year diploma in engineering in any discipline (degree in the same stream is accepted in place of the diploma).
CMA: typically a bachelor’s degree in science with Physics and Chemistry as main subjects — confirm the exact wording in the CEN.
The qualification must be completed on or before 13 September 2026. Final-year students waiting for results are not eligible. Streams map to posts (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, IT, and allied diplomas). Do not pick a post whose exam group does not match your diploma.
Nationality and other gates
Indian citizens can apply. Citizens of Nepal, subjects of Bhutan, and specified PIOs need a Government of India eligibility certificate at document verification. Candidates currently debarred by any RRB/RRC, or dismissed from government/PSU service, must not apply. Serving government or railway employees need an NOC at DV.
OBC-NCL certificates are usually required on the central list, in the CEN format, issued in the window the notice specifies (often on or after 1 April of that year through the last apply date). Do not use a state-list-only caste certificate.
Fee and refund
UR / OBC-NCL / EWS: ₹500. About ₹400 is refunded if you appear in CBT-1 (after bank charges).
SC / ST / Female / PwBD / Transgender / Ex-Servicemen / Minorities / EBC: ₹250. The full ₹250 is refunded if you appear in CBT-1.
Pay only by net banking, debit/credit card, or UPI. Refunds go to an Aadhaar-seeded bank account you validate in the form. Incomplete or rejected applications get no refund. EBC is a fee concession (family income typically below ₹50,000), not a vacancy reservation. Minority concession needs the affidavit named in the CEN at DV.
Selection process
Four stages. CBT-1 is screening; CBT-2 builds the merit list.
CBT-1 — common paper, about 100 questions / 100 marks / 90 minutes (extra time with an approved scribe). Indicative split: Mathematics 30, General Science 30, Reasoning 25, General Awareness 15. Negative marking: one-third of the marks for that question. Qualifying marks are typically 40% UR/EWS, 30% OBC-NCL/SC, 25% ST (small PwBD relaxation where vacancies remain). CBT-1 marks are not added to the final merit.
CBT-2 — shortlisting is often about 15 times community-wise vacancies per RRB on normalised CBT-1 marks. About 150 questions / 150 marks / 120 minutes. Technical Abilities is the bulk (about 100 questions), plus GA, Physics & Chemistry, computers, and environment. Same negative marking. An on-screen calculator is usually provided. Your technical paper follows your exam group (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics).
Document verification — roughly 1:1 with vacancies on normalised CBT-2 marks, RRB-wise. Originals must match the application.
Medical exam — standard is post-specific (Annexure A). Clearing both CBTs does not guarantee fitness. LASIK / refractive surgery can rule you out of posts that need Medical Standard A-3 (often P. Way, Signal, Telecom, TRD, TRS, EMU, Bridge, Track Machine). There is typically one paid medical appeal; that result is final. No alternate post is offered if you are unfit.
RRB can change section-wise question counts. Use the CEN PDF and later exam notices, not coaching blogs, for the paper you will sit.
How to apply
Open rrbapply.gov.in. Create one account with a mobile number and email you will keep. Those two fields cannot be edited later.
Complete Aadhaar / DigiLocker authentication if the portal offers it.
Choose only one RRB. Two applications — even to two different boards, or a near-duplicate — can get every form rejected and can debar you from future RRB/RRC exams.
Fill personal, academic and category details. Enter the bank account for the CBT-1 fee refund.
Capture a live photograph from webcam or phone. Pre-saved photos are often rejected. Dark non-white clothing; no cap, mask or spectacles.
Upload signature (and caste/PwBD papers if you claim them) in the size the form demands.
Pay the fee. Wait for the SMS/email. Download the confirmation page.
Common Service Centres can be used if you have no internet at home. The CBT can be taken in English, Hindi and listed regional languages. Avoid henna on exam day; biometrics are recorded at every stage.
What you should actually do this week
Download CEN 04/2026 and match your diploma to one exam group and one RRB.
If you are 32 turning 33, calculate age on 1 January 2027, not today.
If you need an OBC-NCL or EWS paper, get it in the CEN format before 13 September.
Do not wait for 13 September. Payment can fail; the fee window only runs to 15 September.
Start CBT-1 (maths, GS, reasoning) now. Technical Abilities in CBT-2 is where most of the merit is made.
FAQ
What is the last date for RRB JE 2026?
Submit the form by 13 September 2026, 11:59 pm. Pay the fee by 15 September 2026.
Can I apply to more than one RRB?
No. One RRB only.
Is a B.Tech accepted instead of a diploma?
Yes, in the matching discipline, if the degree is completed by 13 September 2026.
Is the ₹500 fee refundable?
Partly, and only if you appear in CBT-1, to an Aadhaar-seeded account.
When is CBT-1?
Not announced in the opening notice. Watch the same RRB website you applied to.
Where do I apply?
rrbapply.gov.in only. Ignore Telegram “apply links”.
Sources
Railway Recruitment Boards, CEN No. 04/2026 — recruitment for Junior Engineer, Depot Material Superintendent and related posts; apply at rrbapply.gov.in
RRB portal index: rrb.indianrailways.gov.in
As of 14 August 2026. Vacancies, dates and paper pattern can be revised in corrigenda. If this page and the CEN PDF disagree, follow the PDF.