How to Become Junior Engineer (JE) in Railway: A Comprehensive Guide

The duration of the CBT – II is 120 minutes and it consists of 150 multiple choice questions. Each question carries one mark and there is a negative marking of one-third mark for each wrong answer.

The table below shows the distribution of questions and marks for each subject in the CBT – II:

The syllabus for each subject in the CBT – II is as follows:

• General Awareness: Same as CBT – I
• Physics & Chemistry: Up to 10th Standard CBSE syllabus
• Basics of Computers and Applications: Architecture of Computers; Input and Output devices; Storage devices; Networking; Operating System like Windows, Unix, Linux; MS Office; Internet and Email; Websites & Web Browsers; Computer Virus
• Basics of Environment and Pollution Control: Basics of Environment; Adverse effect of environmental pollution and control strategies; Air, water and Noise pollution, their effect and control; Waste Management; Global warming; Acid rain; Ozone depletion
• Technical Abilities: The syllabus for this subject varies according to the post applied for and the relevant discipline of engineering. The detailed syllabus for each post and discipline can be found on the official website of RRB.

The cut-off marks for the CBT – II are decided by the RRB based on various factors such as number of vacancies, number of applicants, difficulty level of exam, previous year trends, etc. The cut-off marks are different for different categories/communities. The candidates who score equal to or more than the cut-off marks are qualified for document verification and medical examination.

The table below shows the minimum qualifying marks for each category/community in the CBT – II:

Document Verification

The document verification is the third stage of the selection process. It is conducted by the RRB to verify the identity, age, educational qualification, category, community, etc. of the candidates who have qualified in the CBT – II. The candidates have to produce original as well as self-attested copies of various documents such as:

• Matriculation/High School Examination Certificate or Equivalent certificate as Proof for Date of Birth and Matriculation Qualification
• Diploma/Degree Certificate with all semester/year wise mark sheets
• SC/ST certificate in the format as per Annexure-I
• OBC-NCL certificate in the format as per Annexure-II
• Non creamy layer declaration by OBC candidates as per Annexure-IIA
• Income Certificate for Waiving Examination Fee for Economically Backward Classes as per Annexure-III
• Minority Community declaration on Non-judicial Stamp Paper as per Annexure-IV
• Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) certificate in prescribed proforma as per Annexure-V(A)/V(B)/V© as applicable
• NOC from serving employees with date of appointment
• NOC from Serving Defence Personnel with probable date of discharge
• Gazette notification and/or any Legal document in case of formal change of name
• Receipt of payment if made through a challan at SBI branch or Pay-in-slip at computerized Post Office
• Self Certification by Transgender candidates
• J & K domicile certificate
• Certificate of eligibility issued by Government of India to candidates who have migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India

The candidates have to follow certain guidelines while appearing for document verification such as:

• Reporting at the venue on time with all required documents
• Arranging documents in proper order as per RRB instructions
• Producing original documents along with two sets of self-attested photocopies
• Ensuring that all documents are legible and valid
• Not producing any fake or forged documents

The candidates who fail to produce any required document or produce any fake or forged document will be disqualified from the selection process.

Medical Examination

The medical examination is the final stage of the selection process. It is conducted by the RRB to ensure that the candidates are medically fit for the post applied for. The medical examination is done by a railway medical board consisting of railway doctors. The candidates have to undergo various tests such as vision test, hearing test, blood test, urine test, etc. The candidates have to pass the medical examination as per the medical standards prescribed by the RRB for the post applied for.

The candidates who pass the medical examination are finally selected for the post of JE in railway. The final merit list is prepared by the RRB based on the marks obtained in the CBT – II and the post preference of the candidates. The candidates are allotted to various railway zones and divisions as per their rank in the merit list and the availability of vacancies.

Read: How to become ACM in railway

Salary Structure

The salary structure of a JE in railway is as follows:

Pay Scale

The pay scale of a JE in railway is Rs. 35400 – 112400 as per the 7th pay commission . The initial basic pay of a JE in railway is Rs. 35400. The basic pay increases with time and experience as per the annual increments and promotions.

Allowances and Benefits

A JE in railway is entitled to various allowances and benefits such as:

• Dearness Allowance (DA): It is a cost of living adjustment allowance paid to government employees. It is revised twice a year (January and July) based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The current rate of DA is 17% of the basic pay.

• House Rent Allowance (HRA): It is an allowance paid to government employees who do not avail government accommodation. It varies according to the place of posting and ranges from 8% to 24% of the basic pay.
• Transport Allowance (TA): It is an allowance paid to government employees to meet their commuting expenses. It varies according to the place of posting and ranges from Rs. 900 to Rs. 3600 per month.
• Medical Allowance: It is an allowance paid to government employees to cover their medical expenses. It is fixed at Rs. 300 per month.

• Other Allowances: A JE in railway may also get other allowances such as Night Duty Allowance, Overtime Allowance, Special Duty Allowance, etc. depending on their nature of work and place of posting.

Apart from these allowances, a JE in railway also gets various benefits such as:

• Pension Scheme: A JE in railway is covered under the New Pension Scheme (NPS) which is a contributory pension scheme where both the employee and the employer contribute 10% of the basic pay plus DA each month. The employee can withdraw a part of the corpus at retirement and get a monthly pension from the remaining corpus.

• Leave Travel Concession (LTC): A JE in railway can avail LTC to travel to any place in India along with their family members once in two years or to their hometown once in four years. The railway pays for their travel expenses as per their entitlement.
• Railway Duty Pass: A JE in railway can get a railway duty pass which allows them to travel free of cost on any train within India along with their family members. The number and class of passes depend on their length of service and grade pay.
• Medical Facilities: A JE in railway can avail free medical treatment for themselves and their dependent family members at railway hospitals and health units. They can also get reimbursement for treatment at other recognized hospitals in case of emergency or referral.
• Educational Facilities: A JE in railway can get educational facilities for their children at railway schools and colleges at subsidized rates. They can also get scholarships and awards for their meritorious children.

• Housing Facilities: A JE in railway can get housing facilities at railway colonies at nominal rents or rates. They can also get loans and advances for building or buying houses at concessional rates.

Career Scope and Promotion

The career scope and promotion prospects of a JE in railway are as follows:

Career Scope

A JE in railway has a wide scope of career opportunities and growth prospects. A JE can be involved in various engineering projects and tasks related to railway infrastructure and operations such as:

• Maintenance: A JE can be responsible for maintaining various railway assets and systems such as track, bridges, buildings, signalling, electrification, etc. They have to ensure that all these assets and systems are functioning properly and safely.
• Construction: A JE can be involved in planning and executing various construction works related to railway infrastructure such as laying new tracks, building new bridges, stations, platforms, etc. They have to ensure that all these works are completed within time and budget.
• Design: A JE can be involved in designing various railway assets and systems such as track, bridges, buildings, signalling, electrification, etc. They have to use various software tools and techniques to create optimal designs that meet the technical specifications and standards.
• Inspection: A JE can be involved in conducting periodic inspections and tests of various railway assets and systems such as track, bridges, buildings, signalling, electrification, etc. They have to ensure that all these assets and systems meet the safety and quality standards and norms.

• Operation: A JE can be involved in operating various railway assets and systems such as track, bridges, buildings, signalling, electrification, etc. They have to ensure that all these assets and systems are working efficiently and effectively.

A JE can also get exposure to various technologies and innovations in the field of railway engineering such as:

• High Speed Rail: A JE can be involved in developing and maintaining high speed rail corridors that can run trains at speeds of 200 kmph or more. They have to use advanced engineering techniques and materials to create high speed tracks, bridges, signalling, electrification, etc.
• Bullet Train: A JE can be involved in developing and maintaining bullet train projects that can run trains at speeds of 300 kmph or more. They have to use cutting-edge engineering technologies and solutions to create bullet train tracks, bridges, signalling, electrification, etc.
• Metro Rail: A JE can be involved in developing and maintaining metro rail projects that can provide rapid urban transit services. They have to use modern engineering methods and systems to create metro rail tracks, bridges, stations, signalling, electrification, etc.

Promotion

A JE in railway has a well-defined promotion hierarchy and criteria. A JE can be promoted to higher posts based on their performance, seniority, qualification, and departmental exams. Some of the higher posts that a JE can be promoted to are:

• Senior Section Engineer (SSE): A SSE is a senior technical staff who supervises the work of JEs and other subordinate staff. A SSE is responsible for planning, executing, monitoring, and controlling various engineering works related to railway infrastructure and operations. A SSE has a pay scale of Rs. 44900 – 142400 as per the 7th pay commission.
• Assistant Divisional Engineer (ADE): An ADE is a junior gazetted officer who assists the Divisional Engineer (DE) in managing the engineering works of a railway division. An ADE is responsible for overseeing the maintenance, construction, design, inspection, and operation of various railway assets and systems within a division. An ADE has a pay scale of Rs. 53100 – 167800 as per the 7th pay commission.
• Divisional Engineer (DE): A DE is a senior gazetted officer who heads the engineering department of a railway division. A DE is responsible for planning, coordinating, directing, and controlling the engineering works of a railway division. A DE has a pay scale of Rs. 67700 – 208700 as per the 7th pay commission.

Conclusion

Becoming a JE in railway is a dream come true for many engineering aspirants who want to serve the nation and contribute to its development. A JE in railway not only gets a lucrative salary and allowances but also gets a chance to work on various challenging and exciting engineering projects and tasks. A JE in railway also has a bright career scope and promotion prospects that can lead them to higher positions of responsibility and authority.

If you are one of those who want to become a JE in railway, then you need to prepare well for the RRB JE exam that tests your knowledge and skills in various subjects related to railway engineering. You also need to fulfill the eligibility criteria, clear the document verification, and pass the medical examination to get selected for the post of JE in railway.

We hope this article has given you all the information you need to become a JE in railway. We wish you all the best for your future endeavors!