The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has officially received 8,40,944 applications for 11,127 Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) vacancies under CEN 01/2026. The average competition is 75.60 applicants per seat. Explore our detailed zone-wise analysis, including vacancy breakdowns, total registrations, and comparative competition density.
The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has published the comprehensive zone-wise registration analysis for the RRB ALP 2026 recruitment drive (CEN 01/2026). Official data confirms that 8,40,944 aspirants have successfully submitted their applications for the 11,127 available Assistant Loco Pilot positions across all operational RRB zones.
Candidates gearing up for the upcoming CBT 1 examination should leverage this registration data to accurately gauge the intensity of competition in their selected RRB zone. Continue reading for a deep dive into the numbers.
RRB ALP 2026 Registration Analysis
The overall registration metrics for RRB ALP 2026 reveal a national average of 75.60 applications per vacancy. However, competitive pressure varies drastically between regions. While Malda reports the lowest ratio of forms per post, Gorakhpur stands out as the most competitive zone, with over 151 applicants vying for every single vacancy.
Aspiring candidates are encouraged to use this region-wise comparative analysis to refine their exam strategy and understand the competitive landscape.
RRB ALP 2026 Registration: Overview
| Particulars | Details |
| Recruitment | RRB ALP 2026 |
| Notification | CEN 01/2026 |
| Total Vacancies | 11,127 |
| Total Applications Received | 8,40,944 |
| Average Applications per Post | 75.6 |
| Highest Competition Zone | Gorakhpur |
| Lowest Competition Zone | Malda |
| Recruitment Authority |
Railway Recruitment Board (RRB)
|
RRB ALP 2026 Zone-wise Form Fill-Up Report
| RRB Zone | Total Vacancy | Total Forms Filled | Forms Per Post |
Competition Level
|
| Malda | 559 | 12,268 | 21.95 | Excellent |
| Kolkata | 841 | 27,352 | 32.52 | Best |
| Bhubaneswar | 801 | 38,047 | 47.5 | Lowest |
| Muzaffarpur | 42 | 2,120 | 50.48 | Very Low |
| Bilaspur | 522 | 30,642 | 58.7 | Very Low |
| Siliguri | 600 | 37,642 | 62.74 | Very Low |
| Patna | 103 | 6,508 | 63 | Very Low |
| Ajmer | 718 | 47,997 | 67 | Low |
| Bhopal | 453 | 30,677 | 67.72 | Low |
| Prayagraj | 610 | 41,807 | 68.54 | Low |
| Guwahati | 676 | 56,034 | 82.89 | Low |
| Jammu | 400 | 32,407 | 81.02 | Low |
| Ranchi | 1,300 | 1,16,625 | 89.71 | Low |
| Secunderabad | 1,420 | 1,32,986 | 93.65 | Low |
| Ahmedabad | 147 | 14,135 | 96.16 | Low |
| Mumbai | 1,193 | 1,24,895 | 104.69 | Medium |
| Trivandrum | 64 | 7,512 | 117.38 | Medium |
| Chennai | 186 | 24,045 | 129.27 | Medium |
| Chandigarh | 187 | 25,287 | 135.22 | Medium |
| Gorakhpur | 105 | 15,902 | 151.45 | High |
| Total | 11,127 | 8,40,944 | 75.6 |
Least Competitive RRB ALP Zones in 2026
Based on the latest registration statistics, the following zones demonstrate comparatively lower competition levels:
| Rank | Zone | Forms Per Post |
| 1 | Malda | 22 |
| 2 | Kolkata | 33 |
| 3 | Bhubaneswar | 48 |
| 4 | Muzaffarpur | 50 |
| 5 | Bilaspur | 59 |
Most Competitive RRB ALP Zones in 2026
The following RRB zones are currently seeing the highest number of applications per vacancy:
| Rank | Zone | Forms Per Post |
| 1 | Gorakhpur | 151 |
| 2 | Chandigarh | 135 |
| 3 | Chennai | 129 |
| 4 | Trivandrum | 117 |
| 5 | Mumbai | 105 |
RRB ALP 2026 Registration Analysis
Candidates who applied in zones with a lower applicant-to-vacancy ratio are generally expected to face less intense competition compared to those in high-density zones. Key highlights from the registration report include the following:
- 8,40,944 applications have been received for 11,127 vacancies.
- Malda has the lowest competition with 21.95 applications per post.
- Kolkata is the second least competitive zone with 32.52 applications per vacancy.
- Gorakhpur recorded the highest competition at 151.45 applications per post.
- Secunderabad received the highest number of applications (1,32,986) among all zones.
- Ranchi also crossed the one lakh mark with 1,16,625 applications.
- Four zones: Mumbai, Trivandrum, Chennai, and Chandigarh have crossed 100 applications per vacancy.
What Does This Mean for Candidates?
This registration analysis provides an initial estimate of competitive pressure. Many registered candidates often skip the actual examination, which may reduce the effective competition. Actual selection difficulty will be influenced by several critical factors, including:
- Number of candidates appearing in CBT 1.
- Exam difficulty level.
- Normalization process.
- Zone-wise cut-off marks.
- Number of vacancies available in each category.
FAQs
A total of 8,40,944 applications were processed for the RRB ALP Recruitment 2026.
There are 11,127 Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) vacancies available under CEN 01/2026.
Gorakhpur has emerged as the most competitive zone, recording 151.45 applications per vacancy.
Malda has reported the lowest competitive pressure, with 21.95 applications per vacancy.
Across all RRB zones, the average competition remains at 75.60 applications per vacancy.
Not necessarily. The final cut-off depends on multiple variables, such as the actual number of test-takers, the difficulty level of the question paper, normalization processes, category-specific vacancies, and individual candidate performance.