RCF Kapurthala Apprentice Recruitment 2026: Apply Online for 734 Posts

Quick Highlights

• Organization: Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala, Ministry of Railways
• Notice Number: A-1/2026 dated 07.08.2026
• Post Name: Act Apprentice (9 trades)
• Total Vacancies: 734
• Application Mode: Online
• Last Date to Apply: 05.09.2026 up to 24.00 hours

RCF Kapurthala Important Dates

The online application link will become inactive after 24.00 hours on 05.09.2026, and no physical copy of the application will be entertained by RCF even if received.

RCF Kapurthala Apprentice Application Fee

Candidates are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of Rs.100/- only through online mode. RCF Kapurthala does not accept fee payment by cash, cheque, money order, IPO or demand draft. Once the application form is filled and completed, the fee payment link becomes active after two working days and must be used to complete the transaction through the payment gateway. Transaction charges, if any, are to be borne by the candidate, and the fee once paid is not refunded or held in reserve for any other examination.

No fee is required to be paid by SC, ST, PWD and Women candidates.

RCF Kapurthala Apprentice Vacancy Details 2026

A total of 734 seats are available across nine trades, with category-wise distribution as given in the official notification:

The PWD and Ex-Servicemen columns represent seats reserved within the total figures, as horizontal reservation, and not additional posts. As per the notification, 4 percent of total seats are reserved for Physically Handicapped persons and 3 percent for Ex-servicemen, their children and children of armed force personnel. Where prescribed seats for SC or ST cannot be filled, they may be interchanged between the two categories, and any seats that still remain unfilled may be opened to unreserved candidates; unfilled OBC seats are similarly filled from the unreserved category.

Eligibility Criteria: Educational Qualification

Candidates must have passed the 10th class examination or its equivalent under the 10+2 system with a minimum of 50 percent marks in aggregate from a recognized Board, and must also possess a National Trade Certificate (NTC) in the notified trade issued by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT).

Where a candidate's Xth class result is expressed in CGPA, the percentage is calculated by multiplying the CGPA by 9.5. For example, a CGPA of 7.4 works out to 70.3 percent marks. In the online application, candidates should enter 1000 as the maximum marks in Xth class and the corresponding obtained marks accordingly. The final eligibility percentage used for the merit list is the simple average of the matriculation percentage and the ITI trade percentage; for instance, 70 percent in matriculation and 80 percent in ITI works out to an average of 75 percent.

Age Limit (as on 05.09.2026)

Candidates seeking reservation benefits must be prepared to produce the relevant caste certificate, non-creamy layer certificate (for OBC) or discharge certificate (for Ex-servicemen and their children) issued by the appropriate authority at the time of Document Verification.

Selection Process

There is no written examination for this recruitment. Selection is made purely on the basis of a merit list prepared for each trade and community, using the simple average of the percentage of marks obtained in matriculation (based on marks in all subjects, not any single subject or group) and the percentage of marks obtained in the ITI trade certificate. The merit list is arranged in descending order of this combined percentage, trade-wise and community-wise, equal to the number of available slots.

If two candidates have the same marks, the older candidate is given preference. Where the date of birth is also identical, the candidate who passed matriculation earlier is considered first. Call letters for document verification are issued to candidates up to 1.5 times the identified slots in each category, and the final merit list is approved by a Committee before being placed before the Head of Workshop, Unit or Division.

Medical Fitness Standards

Selected candidates must produce a medical fitness certificate at the time of Document Verification, signed by a Government-authorised doctor (Gazetted) not below the rank of Assistant Surgeon of a Central or State Hospital, in the prescribed format under the Apprentices Act, 1961 and the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992.

The minimum physical standards prescribed are a height of 137 centimeters, weight of 25.4 kilograms and chest expansion of not less than 3.8 centimeters. Where a candidate does not meet these minimum standards but is certified fit by a Medical Officer not below the rank of Assistant Surgeon (Gazetted) to undergo training in the relevant trade, they may still be engaged as an apprentice in that trade. Hearing must be normal in both ears with no permitted hearing aid, and candidates must be free from any contagious or infectious disease, tuberculosis, chronic skin conditions and serious deformity of the spine or limbs, among other standards listed in the notification.

Documents Required at Document Verification

• Printout of the submitted online application along with the generated registration number
• Original testimonials including matriculation and National Trade Certificate for verification
• Caste certificate issued by the appropriate authority, for candidates claiming SC/ST reservation
• Caste certificate and Non-Creamy Layer certificate, for candidates claiming OBC reservation
• Disability certificate from a duly constituted Medical Board, for PWD candidates (disability not less than 40 percent)
• Discharge certificate, for Ex-servicemen and their children, or Armed Forces serving certificate for children of serving personnel
• Medical fitness certificate signed by a Government-authorised doctor (Gazetted), as per the prescribed Annexure format
• Two additional copies of the same photograph uploaded in the application

How to Apply Online

Candidates are required to apply online by visiting the official RCF Kapurthala website. Detailed instructions for filling the online application are available on the website itself.

1. Visit the official Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala website and open the Act Apprentice recruitment notification link.
2. Register on the portal and carefully fill in personal details and bio-data exactly as recorded in the matriculation certificate.
3. Upload a recent scanned passport-size colour photograph (3.5cm x 3.5cm, JPG/JPEG, 100 DPI, 20 kb to 70 kb) taken within the last three months, without cap or sunglasses.
4. Upload a scanned signature (3.5cm x 3.5cm, JPG/JPEG, 100 DPI, 20 kb to 30 kb).
5. Review all entries carefully, since no change or edit is allowed once the fee payment step is reached.
6. After the form is successfully filled and completed, pay the applicable fee online through the payment link provided, which becomes active two working days after form completion.
7. Note and preserve the registration number generated on submission, and print the completed application for future reference.

Candidates should ensure their name, father's name and date of birth exactly match the matriculation certificate, as any deviation found during Document Verification will lead to cancellation of candidature and debarment. Submitting more than one application with different particulars, such as name, father's name, community, photograph or qualification details, will lead to summary rejection of all such applications.

General Rules and Important Instructions

• The decision of the Railway administration on eligibility, acceptance or rejection of applications and the mode of selection is final.
• Training under the Apprentices Act, 1961 does not confer any right on the candidate for employment or absorption in Railway service after completion of training.
• Canvassing in any form will disqualify the candidature, and no correspondence will be entertained in the matter.
• Enrolment with the Employment Exchange is mandatory, except for wards of RCF/Kapurthala employees.
• Candidature will be cancelled if a candidate fails to produce required original testimonials or if any discrepancy is noticed at the verification stage.
• No daily allowance, conveyance allowance or travelling allowance will be paid for attending Document Verification.
• No hostel accommodation will be provided; selected candidates must make their own arrangements during training.
• The training period and stipend will be as per extant rules and directives issued by the Railway Board from time to time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the last date to apply for RCF Kapurthala Apprentice Recruitment 2026?

Candidates can submit the online application on the RCF Kapurthala website up to 05.09.2026 till 24.00 hours. The link will become inactive after this deadline, and no physical copy of the application is required.

Q2. How many vacancies are there in the RCF Kapurthala Act Apprentice notification 2026?

There are 734 Act Apprentice seats spread across nine trades, namely Fitter, Welder (G and E), Machinist, Painter (G), Carpenter, Electrician, AC and Ref. Mechanic, Mechanic (Motor Vehicle) and Electronic Mechanic.

Q3. What is the age limit for RCF Kapurthala Apprentice 2026?

Candidates must have completed 15 years and must not have completed 24 years of age as on 05.09.2026. Age relaxation of 5 years applies to SC/ST candidates, 3 years to OBC candidates, 10 years to Persons with Disability, and up to an additional 10 years to eligible Ex-servicemen.

Q4. What is the application fee for the RCF Kapurthala Apprentice online form?

The application fee is Rs.100/-, payable only through online mode as part of the application process. Cash, cheque, money order or demand draft payments are not accepted.

Q5. What is the minimum educational qualification required for this apprenticeship?

Candidates must have passed 10th class or its equivalent under the 10+2 system with a minimum of 50 percent aggregate marks from a recognized Board, and must also hold a National Trade Certificate in the notified trade issued by the National Council for Vocational Training.

Q6. How will candidates be selected for RCF Kapurthala Apprentice training?

Selection is based on a merit list prepared using the simple average of the percentage of marks in matriculation and the percentage of marks in the ITI trade certificate. The merit list is prepared trade-wise and community-wise in descending order of marks.

Q7. Is any application fee required for SC, ST, PWD or women candidates?

No. As per the notification, no fee is required to be paid by SC, ST, PWD and Women candidates.

Q8. Does completing this apprenticeship guarantee a job in Indian Railways?

No. Imparting training under the Apprentices Act, 1961 does not confer any right on the candidate for absorption in Railway service after successful completion of training, as per Para 10 of Schedule V of the Apprenticeship Rules, 1991.

Source

This article is based on Notice No. A-1/2026 dated 07.08.2026, issued by Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, Ministry of Railways, Government of India, for the engagement of Act Apprentices under the Apprenticeship Act, 1961.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only, based on the official notification issued by Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala. Candidates are advised to read the complete official notification on the RCF Kapurthala website before applying and to rely on the official website for any updates or corrigenda.