Indian Railways Provides Comprehensive Healthcare to Employees and Pensioners Through Network of 582 Health Units and 128 Hospitals
Indian Railways Provides Comprehensive Healthcare to Employees and Pensioners Through Network of 582 Health Units and 128 Hospitals
Indian Railways provide comprehensive healthcare to Railway employees, both serving and retired along with their eligible dependents. The healthcare facilities are provided through a network of railway health institutes. Presently, there are 582 Health Units and 128 Railway Hospitals existing on Indian Railways.
These Railway hospitals have required infrastructure, essential medical equipment and trained healthcare personnel to provide comprehensive healthcare to Railway beneficiaries.
Occurrence and filling up of vacancies including those of medical staff are continuous processes on Indian Railways considering its size, spatial distribution and criticality of operation. Adequate and suitable manpower is provided to cater to the regular operations, changes in technology, mechanisations and innovative practices. The vacancies are filled up primarily by placement of indents by Railways with Recruitment agencies as per operational and technological requirements.
Recruitments in Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS) are made through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the Ministry as a whole. During the periods 2004–2013 and 2014–2025, a total of 2277 and 5,140 doctors, respectively, were recruited. In addition, indent for 620 doctors was placed on UPSC for the year 2025 and 2026.
Railways, being Central Government organization conduct recruitment for non-gazetted personnel on all India basis. Presently, recruitment against 1,43,086 vacancies of non-gazetted personnel has been taken up on Indian Railways as per Annual Calendar 2024 and 2025.
During January to December 2024, ten Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 92,116 vacancies were notified for which first stage/Single stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) details are as under:-
Exam
Candidates
Cities
Languages
1st Stage CBT for the post of ALP (18,799 vacancies)
18,40,347
156
15
CBT for the post of Technician (14,298 vacancies)
26,99,892
139
15
1st Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies)
11,01,266
146
15
CBT for the post of RPF-SI (452 vacancies)
15,35,635
143
15
CBT for the post of RPF-Constable (4,208 vacancies)
45,30,288
147
15
CBT for Paramedical Categories (1,376 vacancies)
7,08,321
143
15
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) (8,113 vacancies)
58,41,774
141
15
1st Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under Graduate) (3,445 vacancies)
63,27,473
157
15
CBT for Ministerial & Isolated Categories (1,036 vacancies)
4,46,013
139
15
CBT for Level-1 post (32,438 vacancies)
1,08,28,261
152
15
Total Candidates
3,58,59,270
2nd stage CBTs for the following posts has also been completed:
Exam
Candidates
Cities
Languages
2nd Stage CBT for the post of ALP (18,799 vacancies)
2,66,363
112
15
2nd Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS/CMA (7,951 vacancies)
1,17,339
118
15
2nd Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) (8,113 vacancies)
1,21,931
129
15
2nd Stage CBT for Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under Graduate) (3,445 vacancies)
51,978
79
15
Total Candidates
5,57,611
Computer Based Aptitude Test (CBAT) for the post of ALP and Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate) and Computer based Skill Test for the post of Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate-level) and Ministerial & Isolated Categories have also been completed. Details are as under:
Exam
Candidates
Cities
Languages
CBAT for the post of ALP (18,799 vacancies)
1,32,044
84
2
Translation Test for Ministerial & Isolated Categories
1,233
8
2
CBAT for the post Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate)
13,616
38
2
Computer Based Typing Skill Test (CBTST) for the post Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate)
30,341
58
2
Computer Based Typing Skill Test (CBTST) for the post Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under-Graduate-level)
13,145
44
2
Total Candidates
1,90,379
Panels for more than 41,000 candidates for various posts including the posts of Technician, Junior Engineers, Paramedical Categories, Sub-Inspectors & Constable (RPF) and Assistant Loco Pilots have been finalised. Majority of them are in safety categories.
In addition, as per Annual Calendar for the year 2025, nine Centralized Employment Notifications (CENs) for 50,970 vacancies have also been issued. Details are as under:
CEN No.
Post Name
No. of Vacancies notified
Month of Notification
01/2025
Assistant Loco Pilots
9,970
March, 2025
02/2025
Technician
6,238
June, 2025
03/2025
Paramedical categories
434
July, 2025
04/2025
Section Controller
368
August, 2025
05/2025
Junior Engineer/Depot Material Superintendent
2,585
October, 2025
06/2025
Non-Technical Popular Categories (Graduate)
5,810
October, 2025
07/2025
Non-Technical Popular Categories (Under-Graduate)
3,058
October, 2025
08/2025
Isolated Categories
312
December, 2025
09/2025
Level-1
22,195
December, 2025
First stage/Single stage Computer Based Tests (CBTs) for 12,923 posts has been completed. Details are as under:-
Exam
Candidates
Cities
Languages
1st Stage CBT for the post of ALP (9,970 vacancies)
10,03,719
141
15
CBT for the post of Section Controller (368 vacancies)
4,33,748
131
15
1st Stage CBT for the post of JE/DMS (2,585 vacancies)
5,74,351
133
15
Total Candidates
20,11,818
The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) examinations are quite technical in nature entailing large scale mobilization of men and resources and training of manpower. Railway overcame all these challenges and successfully conducted the recruitment in a transparent manner following all laid down guidelines. No instance of paper leakage or similar malpractice has occurred during the entire process.
Recruitment done in Indian Railways during 2004-2005 to 2013-2014 vis-à-vis during 2014-2015 to 2024-2025 is given as under: –
Period
Recruitments
2004-2005 to 2013-2014
4.11 lakhs
2014-2015 to 2023-2024
5.08 lakhs
2025-26 till date
41,343
Further, as a system improvement, the Ministry of Railways has introduced a system of publishing annual calendar from 2024 for recruitment to various categories of Group ‘C’ posts. The introduction of annual calendar is benefitting the aspirants in the following manner:
• More opportunities for candidates;
• Opportunities to those becoming eligible every year;
• Certainty of exams;
• Faster Recruitment process, Training and Appointments
Appropriate administrative attention and necessary action are taken in accordance with the prescribed framework for handling complaints received regarding medical negligence and deficiencies in hospital functioning.
Establishment of new healthcare facilities and up-gradation of existing ones is an on-going process, depending on the requirements of the beneficiaries and developments in the field of Medical Science.
Indian Railways also contribute towards medical education by being a part of the Post Graduate medical education programme run by National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). Post Graduate Diploma, Doctorate and Fellowship medical courses are being run for both Railway and Non-Railway doctors under this programme.
Indian Railways has now decided to establish Post Graduate Medical Institutes attached with Railway hospitals. This shall further contribute towards enhancement of number of specialist medical professionals in India. First one has been started at Northern Railway Central Hospital, New Delhi.
This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.