In short
The detailed CEN 09/2026 is out with 191 posts across seven categories, from Lab Assistant (12th pass) to Public Prosecutor and Chief Law Assistant. Applications are open until 4 December 2026, and only 16 RRBs have posts, so check yours before you choose.
RRB uploaded the detailed notification for CEN 09/2026, the Isolated Categories recruitment, on 5 November 2026, and the application link on rrbapply.gov.in opened the same day. The final count is 191 posts, a few less than the "about 195" in the short notice from October. You have until 4 December 2026, 11:59 pm, to apply. The PDF is linked below.
These are small specialist posts, and each one asks for a particular qualification. That decides whether you can apply at all, so start there.
The seven posts and who can apply
Junior Translator (Hindi) is the biggest, with 79 posts at Level 6, starting at ₹35,400. You need a Master's degree with Hindi and English at degree level, either as subjects or as the medium of exam. On top of that you need a diploma or certificate in Hindi-English translation, or 2 years of translation work in a central or state government office. The age limit is 33.
Lab Assistant Grade III (Chemist & Metallurgist) has 36 posts and is the only one for 12th pass candidates. You need 12th with Physics and Chemistry. It's Level 2 at ₹19,900, and the age limit is 30.
Staff and Welfare Inspector has 27 posts at Level 6. You need a degree plus something in labour or personnel work: a diploma in labour welfare or labour laws, an LLB with labour law papers, a PG diploma in personnel management or HRM, or an MBA in HR. The age limit is 33.
Public Prosecutor (21 posts) and Chief Law Assistant (17) are the two Level 7 posts, starting at ₹44,900, and both need a law degree. Public Prosecutor asks for five years' standing as an advocate with an age limit of just 32, so it really only works if you started practising early. Chief Law Assistant needs 3 years of practice and goes up to 40. Serving railway employees with a law degree and 5 years of railway service can apply for it too.
Senior Publicity Inspector has 8 posts at Level 6, for graduates with a diploma in PR, advertising, journalism or mass communication. The age limit is 33. Scientific Assistant (Training) has only 3 posts and needs a Master's in Psychology with 50% marks, up to age 35.
These age limits are for UR and EWS, counted on 1 January 2027. OBC (NCL) get 3 more years, SC/ST 5, and PwBD and ex-servicemen get more. You must already have your qualification by 4 December. If you're waiting for a result, you can't apply.
Check that your RRB has your post
Only 16 RRBs have posts this time. Chandigarh and Kolkata have 31 each, Guwahati 30, Secunderabad 21, Gorakhpur 15, Mumbai 12 and Chennai 11. Bilaspur and Patna have one each. Ahmedabad, Malda, Muzaffarpur, Ranchi and Thiruvananthapuram have none.
The posts aren't spread evenly either. Public Prosecutor posts are only under Bhubaneswar, Gorakhpur, Guwahati, Prayagraj and Secunderabad. The three Scientific Assistant posts are under Gorakhpur and Guwahati. Secunderabad has 9 Junior Translator, 5 Public Prosecutor, 4 Senior Publicity Inspector and 3 Chief Law Assistant posts, but no Lab Assistant or Staff and Welfare Inspector.
So look at the RRB-wise table before you pick. You can choose only one RRB, and it can't be changed later, not even in the correction window. Rank every post you qualify for under it, because a post you leave out is treated as one you don't want.
One exam, and half of it is your subject
There's a single CBT of 100 questions in 90 minutes, with a third of a mark cut for each wrong answer. 50 questions are on your own subject, and the rest are general awareness, reasoning, maths and general science. The notice gives a separate subject syllabus for each post. Public Prosecutor candidates should note that 5 to 7 questions come from the RPF Act, the Railways Act and the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act.
Junior Translator works differently. Half the paper is Hindi and English language questions, printed only in those languages, and the top 10 times the vacancies then sit a translation test. You need 60% in it, but the final merit is on CBT marks alone.
After the CBT, RRB calls only as many candidates as there are vacancies for document verification and the medical, so there's no waiting list to fall back on.
Eyesight rule for two posts
Lab Assistant and Scientific Assistant need medical standard B-1, which includes colour, binocular and night vision tests, and glasses no stronger than 4D. LASIK is allowed, but the notice sets conditions: at least a year since surgery, no complications and enough corneal thickness, among others. The other posts have the easier C-1 or C-2 standard. If you fail the medical for your post, you won't get another one.
Fee, corrections and the small things
The fee is ₹500, and ₹400 comes back once you sit the CBT. Women, SC/ST, ex-servicemen, PwBD, transgender, minority and EBC candidates pay ₹250 and get it all back. You can pay until 6 December. The correction window runs from 7 to 16 December at ₹250 each time, but your account details and chosen RRB stay locked.
A few points from RRB's FAQ are worth knowing before you start. Enter your date of birth exactly as on your 10th certificate, and if Aadhaar shows something different, get Aadhaar fixed first. If a certificate has only the month and year, use the last day of that month. And if you join any government job after applying, you'll still need your employer's NOC at DV.
The full syllabus, RRB-wise vacancy table and a step-by-step application guide are on the recruitment page. For help with the form, the helpline is rrb.help@csc.gov.in or 9592001188 (10 am to 5 pm on working days).
Apply only through the official RRB website. RRB doesn't use agents, so anyone promising you a railway job for money is lying.