Indian Railways is running one of its biggest hiring cycles in years. If you’re targeting Goods Guard / Train Guard (NTPC category) or related control/operations roles, here’s a single, long-form tracker of the current recruitment lines, vacancy numbers, dates, and official places to apply—with credible sources linked throughout.
🔥 What’s active in 2025 (quick view)
- RRB NTPC 2025 (Graduate & Undergraduate categories) is underway; Stage-1 CBT for Graduate level ran June 5–24, 2025, and results are expected in September per national dailies. Total NTPC vacancies ≈ 11,558 (category split varies by source and zone).
- Within NTPC, Goods Guard is a major Graduate-level post. Multiple exam trackers show an expected split of ~5,748 Goods Guard seats inside the NTPC pool (final number is zonal-wise per official CEN/notice).
- RRB Group D (Level-1) hiring in 2025 is also large-scale with 32,438 posts announced across zones (track maintainers, pointsman, assistants, etc.).
- A separate 2025 recruitment for Section Controller (supervisory, Level-6) is officially notified for 368 vacancies; applications are online via RRBs. Short notices and coverage confirm the count and upcoming apply window.
- Macro picture: RRBs report 9,000+ job offers already issued in Q1 FY-2025/26 and a plan to surpass 50,000 appointments this year across seven notifications (55,197 seats).
👉 Translation: If you’re aiming at Goods Guard / Train Guard, NTPC 2025 is the channel; control-room track (Section Controller) is a separate drive; and Group D is the entry pipeline for operations/field roles.
📦 Goods Guard (Train Guard) — NTPC 2025 snapshot
Recruiting line: RRB NTPC 2025 (Graduate)
Indicative vacancy share: ~5,748 Goods Guard seats out of 11,558 NTPC total (portal-compiled expected split; final allotment is per official CEN & zone).
Exam window (Graduate Level CBT-1): June 5–24, 2025 (rescheduled notice & coverage).
Result timeline: Media reports indicate September 2025 (2nd–3rd week) for Graduate CBT-1 results.
Pay band: Level-5; typical in-hand (with allowances) ₹30,000–₹45,000+ depending on zone & running/DA/HRA components (official pay rules apply).
Where you’ll see official updates:
- Central RRB notices hub: https://rrbcdg.gov.in/
- Indian Railways portal: https://indianrailways.gov.in/
- Your zonal RRB (links further below)
🧭 Section Controller 2025 — dedicated recruitment line
Posts: Section Controller (Level-6)
Vacancies: 368 (all-India across RRBs)
Status: Short notice/notification out with online application schedule (applications begin mid-September 2025, per short notice articles; check your RRB site on/after the date for the detailed CEN).
Coverage confirming count & online mode: National/edu portals and Hindi dailies highlight 368 seats & online application via RRB websites
Official updates:
- Watch your zonal RRB plus rrbcdg.gov.in “centralized” updates page.
🛠️ Group D (Level-1) 2025 — high-volume operations intake
Vacancies: 32,438 across zones (Pointsman, Track Maintainer Grade-IV, Assistant posts in Mechanical/S&T/Loco/Operations).
Recruitment channel: RRB Group D 2025 (separate from NTPC)
Exam model: CBT with standard Level-1 eligibility (10th/ITI/NAC as per official notice).
🗓️ 2025 recruitment & exam windows — at a glance
| Line | What’s for Guard aspirants? | Key 2025 Dates / Status |
|---|---|---|
| NTPC (Graduate) | Goods Guard / Train Guard + Station Master etc. | CBT-1 held Jun 5–24, 2025; results expected Sep 2025 |
| NTPC (UG) | Trains Clerk, Ticket Clerk (feeder roles) | Aug 7–Sep 9, 2025 test window per notices/trackers |
| Section Controller | Control-room supervisory (Level-6) | 368 posts; apply mid-Sep–Oct 14 (per short notice) |
| Group D (Level-1) | Track/points/operations crew | 32,438 posts; CBT schedule per zone |
| Macro hiring | All categories | 9,000+ offers in Q1; 50,000+ this FY targeted |
Note on counts: The 11,558 NTPC total and the Goods Guard ≈ 5,748 (expected) split are widely reported; your zonal CEN is the final authority for category-wise, zone-wise breakup.
🔗 Official places to apply / check notifications
- Indian Railways (Ministry): https://indianrailways.gov.in/
- RRBs (central updates page): https://rrbcdg.gov.in/
Popular RRB zone links (apply/check as per your zone):
- RRB Mumbai: https://www.rrbmumbai.gov.in/
- RRB Kolkata: http://www.rrbkolkata.gov.in/
- RRB Chennai: https://www.rrbchennai.gov.in/
- RRB Secunderabad: https://rrbsecunderabad.gov.in/
- RRB Ahmedabad: https://www.rrbahmedabad.gov.in/
- RRB Ajmer: https://rrbajmer.gov.in/
- RRB Allahabad (Prayagraj): http://www.rrbald.gov.in/
- RRB Bengaluru: http://www.rrbbnc.gov.in/
- RRB Bhopal: https://rrbbhopal.gov.in/
- RRB Bhubaneswar: http://www.rrbbbs.gov.in/
- RRB Chandigarh: https://www.rrbcdg.gov.in/
- RRB Gorakhpur: http://www.rrbgkp.gov.in/
- RRB Guwahati: http://www.rrbguwahati.gov.in/
- RRB Malda: http://www.rrbmalda.gov.in/
- RRB Muzaffarpur: http://www.rrbmuzaffarpur.gov.in/
- RRB Patna: http://www.rrbpatna.gov.in/
- RRB Ranchi: https://rrbranchi.gov.in/
- RRB Siliguri: https://www.rrbsiliguri.gov.in/
- RRB Thiruvananthapuram: http://www.rrbthiruvananthapuram.gov.in/
Tip: Always verify the CEN number, category code, and zone on the official RRB URL (https…gov.in) before applying. RRBs do not charge any private fee beyond the prescribed online fee in the notice.
📑 What to look for in the NTPC (Guard) notice
- Post name/code: Goods Guard / Train Guard (Graduate level)
- Pay level: 5 (7th CPC) — with DA/HRA/TA & running allowances per rules
- Medical standard: A-2 is common for running staff/guard roles (final standard as per CEN)
- Vacancy breakup: Zone-wise, category-wise (UR/OBC/EWS/SC/ST)
- Exam schedule & city intimation: NTPC publishes city slips/admit cards about a week before CBT (see trackers).
🧾 Salary & appointment momentum (2025)
- Guard (NTPC—Level-5): Typical in-hand ₹30,000–₹45,000+ with allowances; varies by zone and running duty mix.
- Hiring pace: RRBs have already issued 9,000+ offers in Q1 FY-2025/26 and plan 50,000+ total appointments across active notifications—strong sign of speedy panels/appointments once results/medical/DV complete.
🧭 How this affects Guard aspirants—2025 action map
- NTPC (Graduate) is the main channel for Goods Guard; with CBT-1 done in June, watch for results in September, then CBT-2 / subsequent stages per the CEN/zone.
- If you’re a graduate eyeing control room ops, track the Section Controller advertisement (368 seats, Level-6). Applications start mid-September (short-notice timeline).
- For field ops/entry, the Group D 32,438 cycle is your lane (different exam/eligibility).
📣 Official + trusted update sources
- RRB NTPC dates / reschedule / vacancy total: Times of India education desk coverage (June CBT window; 11,558 posts) and recent result-timeline updates.
- Goods Guard split (expected): Compilations by competitive-exam portals (use for orientation; final CEN rules).
- RRB Group D 2025 vacancy (32,438): Multiple exam portals referencing the official notification.
- Section Controller 2025 (368): Short notice and recruitment write-ups confirming count, dates, and pay level.
- Macro hiring drive / appointments: ET & HT national coverage.
🔗 Quick “Apply / Check” panel (bookmark these)
- RRB Central Updates: https://rrbcdg.gov.in/
- Indian Railways (Ministry): https://indianrailways.gov.in/
- Your Zonal RRB: use the zone list above (all *.gov.in).
- For Section Controller 2025: Watch your zonal RRB home page + the central updates page for CEN/short notice & the apply-online window.