Railway jobs through ESE 2026: IRMS, Vacancies, Posts, Eligibility & Career Path
The Engineering Services Exam, popularly known as ESE, is a highly prestigious exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). It is an exam for the recruitment of Group-A technical officers in various departments of the Government of India. Departments like Railways, CPWD, MES, BRO, CPES, etc., recruit Group-A technical officers through ESE. However, in this blog post we would focus only upon the railway jobs through ESE 2026. This blog would be helpful for the aspirants preparing for ESE 2026. This blog would also serve as a source of information for ESE 2026 aspirants who are dreaming of working as Group-A officers in Indian railways.
What is IRMS? Full form and details.
The full form of IRMS is Indian Railways Management Services. It was a combined exam for different Group A posts in Indian railways. It was introduced in 2020 for the recruitment of technical and non-technical officers in railways.
In Feb 2020, it was decided that railways would recruit Grade-A officers through the IRMS. However, in a notification released by the railways board on 18th September 2024, it was mentioned that Grade-A technical officers in railways would be selected through ESE.
Railway Jobs through ESE 2026
Railways is one of the most desired departments among ESE aspirants. This is because the nature of work in railways is techno-managerial. As it is very well known that railways is one of the highly technical departments of the government of India, working in railways helps aspirants to utilize their technical knowledge in the real world. Also, being a Group-A employee, lots of staff work under the selected candidates, which helps them in strengthening their managerial skills.
Apart from this, the high number of vacancies in railways in ESE makes it one of the most desired departments among all the other departments.
Generally due to their good technical and managerial skills, the officers of railways often go on deputation in other departments of the Government of India or in various metro projects.
Let us have a look at the step-by-step process to join railway jobs through ESE 2026.
- Register for ESE 2026: Those candidates who want to join railways as a group A officer through ESE must have to register themselves for ESE 2026.
- Prelims exam: After registration, candidates have to appear in ESE 2026 prelims and clear it with good marks.
- Mains exam: Those candidates who want to join the railway through ESE 2026 must have to clear the ESE mains exam with a good score.
- Interview: A good score in the interview is very important for getting the desired department in ESE. The interview is generally the personality test of aspirants; it tests the thinking skills of aspirants.
After clearing all three steps, candidates are recommended in the order of their preference and the marks scored by them in all three stages.
In railways, after selection, candidates are designated by the post of AEE (Assistant Executive Engineer) with the basic pay of Rs 56100/ along with other benefits and allowances as per the 7th pay commission.
Medical standard for Railways through ESE
After the declaration of final results of ESE examination, all the candidates who make it to the final list have to undergo medical fitness tests conducted by Railway Board at various Railway Hospitals. This medical examination is basically done to assess the suitability of the candidate for various services/departments opted by him/her. The final cadre allocation is done only after the recommendations sent by the medical board through the medical reports of the candidate.
Candidates need to fulfil the below mentioned medical requirements before the final selection in ESE.
Height
- Height criteria for male candidates: 152cm
- Height criteria for female candidates: 150cm
- This is relaxable in case of scheduled tribes and races belonging to Gorkhas, Garhwalis etc. Height measurements will be done twice before coming to final decision.
Chest girth fully expanded:
- For Male candidates : 84 cm
- For Female candidates : 79 cm
- For all services minimum chest expansion should be 5cm. Candidate will be directed to take deep inspiration several times and then maximum expansion of the chest will be carefully noted. Fraction less than half of a centimetre will not be noted. Chest expansion measurements will be done twice before coming to final decision.
Weight:
- Candidates will be weighed and the weight will be recorded in kilograms.
- Fraction of kilogram will not be noted.
- Obesity: If a candidate has BMI> 35 then he/she is declared temporarily unfit and can become fit if they achieve BMI < 35 without any surgery or interventional therapies.
For more details about medical standards, candidates can visit here.
Railway departments through ESE
As said above, Group-A technical officers in railways are recruited through ESE; therefore, the eligibility, exam pattern, age limit for railway departments is same as other departments through ESE.
On the basis of marks scored by candidates in ESE and post preferences filled by candidates, different services are allotted to the recommended candidates.
The different services that comes under railways are:
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- R.S.E.E (Indian Railway Services of Electrical Engineers)
- R.S.M.E (Indian Railway Services of Mechanical Engineers)
- R.S.E (Indian Railway Services of Engineers)
- R.S.S.E (Indian Railway Services of Signal Engineers)
- R.S.S (Indian Railway Services of Stores )
ESE railway post-salary and career growth
Railways through ESE offers the post of Assistant Executive Engineer; however, the designation for the selected candidates varies as per their services. For example, candidates selected in the civil engineering department would be called I.R.S.E., electrical engineers would be called I.R.S.E.E., etc.
The promotion of a Group-A technical officer in the railway is given in the chart below. Generally, the promotions in railways are time bound; however, for higher posts, the promotion depends upon the vacancy and many other factors. With each promotion, generally there is an increase in the grade pay and salary.
Why Choose Railways Through ESE?
All the departments through ESE offers lots of benefits to the recommended candidates. However, still some departments are generally the first priority of the candidates. Let us see why aspirants should choose railways through ESE 2026.
- Job security
- Career growth opportunities
- Less bureaucratic interference
- Practical application of engineering
- Respect and prestige in society
- Handsome salary
- Railways being the largest employer of country offers multiple profiles to group A officers
- Medical facility
- Railway accommodation
- Faster promotion
- Travel passes
- Good life style
- Learning opportunities
These are some of the benefits of working as a Group-A officer in railways. This is not the end of perks and benefits of railways; the list is very long. Other than the above-mentioned benefits, Group-A railway officers have good managerial skills, which helps them to join other departments on deputation and eventually their profile a lot.
How MADE EASY supports you in cracking UPSC ESE Railways
Joining railways or not is the personal choice of students. However, being one of the oldest services, it has its own charm. But to get selected in railways, candidates need to clear ESE with top ranks. In the journey of ESE aspirants, MADE EASY acts as a supporting hand to aspirants. MADE EASY offers multiple courses for UPSC ESE in online and offline mode. Candidates can choose their courses as per their need. To view more details about ESE 2025 courses, aspirants can visit here.
These classes are conducted by highly qualified faculty members; most of them have secured top ranks in ESE and GATE, and some have completed their post-graduation from top colleges in India/abroad. Others are highly experienced industry experts, and many more.
Other than classroom courses, MADE EASY also offers test series for ESE prelims 2026 and ESE Main 2026. These test series are designed by expert faculties, GATE/ESE top rankers. To know more about the test series, candidates can visit here.
Those students who clear the ESE Prelims and Mains examination can join the MADE EASY interview guidance program. This interview guidance program acts as a mock test for the personality test of ESE.
FAQs
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Can I join Railways through ESE 2026?
Answer: Yes, candidates can join railways through ESE 2026.
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What is IRMS and how is it different from ESE?
Answer: IRMS stands for Indian Railway Management System, this system was introduced in 2020 for recruitment of various Group A officers in railways through separate exam.
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What is the starting salary in Indian Railways through ESE?
Answer: The basic pay for Group A officers in Indian railways in Rs 56100-1,77,500 along with other benefits.
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Are Civil Engineers recruited in Railways through ESE?
Answer: Yes, civil engineers are recruited in railways through ESE.
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What is the full form of IRMS?
Answer: IRMS stands for Indian Railways Management Services.
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