CENTRAL GOVERNMENT JOBS

Railway Group D (Track Maintainer / Helper)

Do track maintenance, points work and helper duties across railway departments.

Class 10 pass or ITI; any subjects After Class 10 Government job

Facts checked 29/10/2026

Is this for me?

People in this work enjoy

A stable, permanent government job after Class 10, with railway passes and medical benefits
Active, outdoor or hands-on work instead of desk work
A clear path to move up through departmental exams over time

It may not suit you if you dislike

Hard physical work in heat, rain and cold, and the PET itself needs real fitness
Shift duty, night work and transfers anywhere in the zone
Track work carries real safety risk; strict rules must always be followed

Class 11–12 subjects: Class 10 pass from a recognised board, or an ITI, or a National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) from NCVT. No particular subjects are needed. Age limits and relaxations are set in each notice (reported: about 18 to 33 years in most years; the 2025 cycle allowed up to 36).
First degree: No degree needed. Class 10, ITI or NAC is enough.
Entrance exams: RRB Group D (Level 1) computer-based test by the Railway Recruitment Boards, then a physical efficiency test (PET), document check and medical exam.
Licence or registration: None needed to start working.

Open to every streamClass 10 pass or ITI; any subjects.Check your subjects against every career

What the work is like

Track Maintainer (Grade IV) keeps the rails, sleepers and fittings safe: walking and inspecting track, packing and fixing it, and working in gangs. Other Level 1 jobs include Pointsman, Assistant (Signal & Telecom), Assistant (Track Machine), Assistant (Bridge), Assistant (C&W), Assistant Loco Shed, Assistant TRD and Assistant Operations. All of these are helper roles that keep trains running safely.

A day in the work
A track maintainer often starts early with a gang, collects tools and gets the day's section from the supervisor. They walk the line checking for loose fittings, cracks or sinking ballast, then fix, pack or replace parts, stepping off the track safely when trains pass. In heat, rain or cold, the work goes on outdoors. At the day's end they report any fault they could not fix. Pointsmen and assistants in other departments work set shifts at yards, stations, sheds or workshops.

The path, step by step

Step 1 · Class 9–10Pay attention to Maths, Science and reasoning in school. The exam tests these at Class 10 level. Pass Class 10. If you prefer a trade, an ITI course also qualifies.
Step 2 · Class 10 or ITICheck the basics before you apply: age limit on the notice's cut-off date, eyesight and general health, and your category certificates. Relaxations in age and fee are given to SC/ST/OBC, women, ex-servicemen, persons with disabilities and others as per the notice. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 3 · When RRBs notifyApply online on the official RRB portal. Notices do not come every year. The latest one is CEN 09/2025 with about 22,195 vacancies; applications opened on 31 January 2026 and closed in early March 2026. You choose RRBs (regions) when you apply, so read the notice carefully. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 4 · Computer-based test (CBT)One computer test of about 100 questions in 90 minutes: Maths, General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Science and General Awareness. Wrong answers lose marks (one-third negative marking). The CBT for CEN 09/2025 was held in 2026; the result was awaited at our last check. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 5 · Physical Efficiency Test (PET)Qualifying test. In the 2025 notice, men had to carry about 35 kg over 100 m in 2 minutes and run 1,000 m in 4 min 15 s. Women had to carry 20 kg over 100 m and run 1,000 m in about 5 min 40 s. Check the current notice for exact standards and exemptions. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 6 · Documents and medicalOriginal certificates are checked. Then a railway medical exam tests eyesight, colour vision and fitness for the post's medical category. Failing it can cost you the job even after clearing the exam.
Step 7 · Posting, training and probationSelected candidates are placed in a department and zone by merit and choice. They get initial training (length depends on the zone), then work on probation before being confirmed. Later, departmental exams and seniority can lead to higher posts. (reported — check with the official body)

Time and money

Stage	Time	Government college or body	Private college	Help available
Class 11–12 (optional ITI route, costs depend on college)	2 years	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	Paid government training after selection; no course fee for Group D
Apply for RRB Group D (CEN notice) and pay exam fee	1 day exam	Exam fee per the notice; check the notice	—	Lower fee for SC/ST, women, ex-servicemen, PwD; partly refunded after CBT (reported)
Computer-based test, PET, document check and medical	Several months (reported)	Free to attend beyond the exam fee; no coaching cost in page	—	—
Initial railway training and probation	Length depends on the zone	Paid by railways; paid as government employee at Pay Level 1 (about ₹18,000 basic, reported)	—	Training is paid; stipend via salary

Total timeAbout 2 years after Class 12 if you take the ITI route, otherwise the exam time after Class 12 plus training and probation

Total costExam fee is charged at application; training is paid by the railways and you earn a salary, so the net cost is the exam fee only.

Good to knowOnly apply through the official RRB portal; never pay anyone for a seat or recommendation.

Fees from: Railway Recruitment Boards (official RRB portal) – check the current CEN for exact fee. Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

What people earn

Official pay

Pay Level 1 of the 7th CPC pay matrix, about ₹18,000 basic plus allowances (reported; check the latest official notice).

Source: SATHEE (IIT Kanpur) on RRB Group D CEN 09/2025 ↗

Pay starts at the lowest government pay level but rises with allowances, yearly increments and promotions, and it is higher in big cities because of house-rent allowance.

Myth and fact

Myth: ~~Group D is an easy desk job that only needs Class 10 marks.~~

Fact: Selection needs a competitive computer test, a physical test and a medical exam. Many posts, especially Track Maintainer, involve hard outdoor work, shift duty and safety risk.

For girls and students with disabilities

Women are eligible and have lower physical test standards (lighter weight, longer run time). Some posts are identified as suitable for certain benchmark disabilities, and age and fee relaxations apply, but the physical and medical rules differ by post, so check the current notice (reported).

Try it now

Class 7–9Start a daily 20-minute run or sports habit this month, and note how your 1,000 m time improves each week. Stamina built early makes the PET far easier later.Open link ↗
Class 10–12Join MY Bharat (age 15+) and take part in a local volunteering or fitness activity. It builds discipline and teamwork, which gang work needs.Open link ↗
College or afterSolve this month's Class 9–10 Maths and Science exercises from the free NCERT textbooks, 30 minutes a day, since the test is at that level.Open link ↗

Good to know

Level 1 means the lowest rung of the 7th Pay Commission pay matrix for railway jobs, but it is a permanent central government job with railway benefits.
Posts are filled region-wise by RRBs, and your posting can be anywhere in the zone, sometimes far from home.
Vacancies change a lot: about 32,438 in the 2025 notice (CEN 08/2024) and about 22,195 in the 2026 notice (CEN 09/2025), as reported. Earlier years had a lakh or more.
Only apply through the official RRB portal. Never pay anyone for a 'seat' or 'recommendation'; selection is by the exam, PET and medical only.

Sources: Railway Recruitment Boards (official RRB portal) – address as named in search results; page not opened, so details marked reported need checking against the current CEN · SATHEE (IIT Kanpur) – overview of RRB Group D CEN 09/2025, Level 1, 7th CPC pay matrix