Railway Contractual Vacancies 2025: Latest Updates from Lok Sabha Reply
The Ministry of Railways recently responded to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 590 on 3 December 2025, providing detailed information on vacancies, recruitment progress, safety category posts, and the status of contractual workers. This official update gives a clear picture of how Indian Railways is managing its large workforce and the ongoing recruitment drive for 2024 and 2025.
Total Vacancies in Indian Railways (Zone-Wise Information)
Indian Railways clarified that vacancies arise continuously due to its massive size, widespread geographical presence, and operational demands. These posts are filled regularly by placing indents with recruitment agencies like RRBs and RRCs.
As per the Annual Recruitment Calendars 2024 and 2025, recruitment for 1,20,579 vacancies is currently underway across various categories.
Vacancies in Safety-Related Categories
A significant share of recruitment focuses on safety-related posts, such as:
- Assistant Loco Pilots (ALPs)
- Technicians
- Track Maintainers
- Pointsmen
- Junior Engineers in core operational areas
More than 23,000 candidate panels have already been finalized, and most of these posts fall under safety categories.
Posts in the Commission of Railway Safety
The reply also covered the number of sanctioned and vacant posts in the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS). While exact zone-wise numbers were not disclosed in the document, the Ministry emphasized that vacancies are being filled continuously as per operational needs.
Steps Taken to Fill Vacant Posts
The Ministry highlighted several strong measures to improve the recruitment system:
1. Large-Scale Recruitment Notifications
From January to December 2024, 10 Centralised Employment Notifications (CENs) were issued for 92,116 vacancies across categories such as:
- ALP
- Technicians
- JE/DMS/CMA
- RPF SI & Constable
- Paramedical
- NTPC (Graduate & Under-Graduate)
- Ministerial & Isolated categories
- Level-1 posts
2. Completion of Major Examinations
Indian Railways successfully conducted Computer Based Tests (CBTs) on a massive scale:
- 59,678 posts – 1st/Single Stage CBTs completed
- ALP, JE/DMS/CMA, NTPC Graduate – 2nd Stage CBTs completed
- ALP CBAT conducted for 1,32,044 candidates
- Level-1 CBT started on 27 Nov 2025
- RPF Constable PET started on 13 Nov 2025
No case of paper leakage or malpractice was reported, showcasing a highly secure and transparent recruitment system.
3. Annual Recruitment Calendar
Introduced from 2024, this system ensures:
- More opportunities every year
- Certainty of examination timelines
- Faster recruitment, training, and appointment
Contractual Workers in Indian Railways
The Lok Sabha reply also addressed the engagement of contractual workers across railway zones.
Why Railways Hire Contractual Workers
Contractual appointments are used as a temporary, stop-gap arrangement when:
- Immediate operational requirements arise
- Regular staff are not yet appointed
- Projects or services need uninterrupted functioning
Nature of Contractual Employment
The Ministry clearly stated that contractual engagement is:
- Purely temporary and time-bound
- Meant only until regular employees join
- Not a pathway to permanent employment
Is There Any Plan to Regularise Contractual Workers?
No.
The Government confirmed that there is no provision to regularise contractual staff in Indian Railways.
Key reasons:
- Contractual roles are meant for urgent, short-term needs
- Regular recruitment is always done through formal selection procedures as per rules
- Contractual staff do not gain rights to absorption or permanent appointment
Delays in the Recruitment Process
The Ministry stated that recruitment in Railways is highly technical, requiring:
- Large-scale logistics
- Deployment of trained manpower
- Strict compliance with guidelines
Despite these challenges, Railways has successfully conducted examinations transparently. No administrative or legal delays were highlighted in the official reply.
Recruitment Comparison: 2004–2014 vs. 2014–2025
The data shows a significant rise in recruitment activity in recent years:
| Period | Recruitments Completed |
|---|---|
| 2004–2005 to 2013–2014 | 4.11 lakh |
| 2014–2015 to 2024–2025 | 5.08 lakh |
This indicates a stronger workforce expansion and faster hiring processes in the past decade.
Conclusion
The official Lok Sabha reply provides clear insights into Railway Contractual Vacancies 2025. While contractual workers continue to be engaged for temporary needs, the Government has reaffirmed that there is no plan for their regularisation. Meanwhile, Indian Railways is pushing one of its largest recruitment drives ever, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and safety-focused hiring.