ICF Chennai Act Apprentice Recruitment 2026-27 — 1010 Posts (Notification No. APP/01/2026-2027)

Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai — a coach-manufacturing unit of Indian Railways — is recruiting 1,010 Act Apprentices for 2026-27 under the Apprentices Act, 1961, split between 330 posts for Freshers (10th/12th pass) and 680 posts for Ex-ITI certificate holders, across Fitter, Electrician, Welder, Carpenter, Machinist, Painter, MLT and PASAA trades. Online applications close on 7 September 2026.

Who Should Apply

• Freshers (330 posts) — Std X pass (minimum 50% marks) with Science & Maths for Fitter/Electrician/Machinist; Std X pass (50%) for Carpenter/Painter; Std X pass (50%) for Welder; Std XII with Physics/Chemistry/Biology for MLT-Radiology and MLT-Pathology.
• Ex-ITI (680 posts) — Std X pass (50% marks) plus a National Trade Certificate (NCVT/SCVT, one year or above) in the notified trade: Fitter, Electrician, Machinist, Carpenter, Painter, Welder, or Programming & System Administration Assistant (PASAA).

Candidates who already hold a higher qualification — Degree, Diploma, Engineering Degree, or who have already completed an Act Apprenticeship — are not eligible to apply.

Eligibility & Age Limit

Age is reckoned as on 07.09.2026. ITI candidates must have completed 15 years and not completed 24 years of age; Non-ITI (fresher) candidates must have completed 15 years and not completed 22 years of age. Age relaxation is 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC, and 10 years for Persons with Benchmark Disability. SC/ST/OBC candidates must submit their certificates or will be treated as Unreserved with the UR age limit. Preference goes to candidates registered with an Employment Exchange in Tamil Nadu — this condition does not apply to wards of Railway employees, who must submit their parent's Railway service certificate instead.

Salary & Pay Scale

This is an apprenticeship stipend, not a salary: ₹8,200/month for Fresher 10th-pass apprentices, ₹9,600/month for Fresher 12th-pass apprentices (MLT trades), and ₹9,600/month for Ex-ITI apprentices. The stipend increases by 10% in the second year of training.

Important Dates

Application Fee

₹100 plus applicable online service charges (non-refundable) for General/OBC candidates. SC, ST, PwBD, and women candidates are exempt from the processing fee.

How to Apply

1. Log on to the ICF web portal at pb.icf.gov.in and register — the system generates your Registration ID, and your password for the acknowledgement is your date of birth in ddmmyyyy format.
2. Fill in the online application form carefully — no corrections are possible after submission.
3. Upload a recent passport-size photograph (not more than 200 KB) in jpg/jpeg format.
4. Pay the processing fee online, if applicable — SC/ST/PwBD/women candidates are exempt.
5. Submit and print the system-generated acknowledgement form — you don't need to post or email any documents to ICF, but you must bring the printed acknowledgement to document verification.

How Are Candidates Selected

Selection is purely a merit list based on marks obtained in the Std X examination — there is no written test or interview. If two candidates have equal marks, the older candidate is preferred; if the date of birth also matches, the candidate who passed Std X earlier is ranked higher. Fresher candidates can choose their trade preference and are allotted a trade based on merit rank and seat availability, with no change of trade allowed once allotted; Ex-ITI candidates are trained in the trade matching their ITI certificate. Selected candidates must clear a medical fitness examination and execute an apprenticeship contract before training starts.

Why This Job Matters

ICF Chennai is the coach-building arm of Indian Railways — it manufactures the passenger coaches used across the Indian rail network. At 1,010 slots in a single cycle, this is one of the largest current apprenticeship intakes under the Ministry of Railways, and it is explicitly open to both fresh 10th/12th-pass candidates and Ex-ITI certificate holders, doubling the pool of who can realistically apply.

The FreshersLike Take

This is a strong fit if you're a 10th-pass or ITI-certified candidate in Tamil Nadu looking for paid, certified trade training with a large employer, and you're comfortable that selection is purely on your existing Std X marks with nothing to prepare for. Think twice if you're hoping this leads to a permanent Railway job — the notification explicitly states this is for apprenticeship training only, not employment, and there is no absorption guarantee after training. Practical tip: because selection is by Std X marks alone, register with your local Employment Exchange in Tamil Nadu well before applying if you haven't already — it's a stated eligibility condition, not just a formality, and it can't be sorted out at the last minute.

Documents Required

• Recent passport-size colour photograph (jpg/jpeg, under 200 KB)
• Std X mark sheet and Transfer Certificate
• National Trade Certificate (for Ex-ITI applicants)
• Std XII mark sheet with Physics/Chemistry/Biology (for MLT trade applicants)
• Caste certificate (SC/ST/OBC), issued by the appropriate authority, if claiming reservation
• Disability certificate, if applying under PwBD
• For wards of Railway employees: parent's Railway Identity Card/Service Certificate, attested by a Gazetted Officer

Contact & Helpline

For clarifications, ICF has published a helpdesk at pb.icf.gov.in/act2026_cc/helpdesk_entry.php. This is the only official channel for this recruitment — ICF will not contact candidates through any other number for payment or personal details.

Important Links

Common Questions

What is the last date to apply for ICF Chennai Act Apprentice 2026?

7 September 2026, till 5:30 PM.

Can a candidate with a diploma or engineering degree apply?

No. The notification explicitly excludes candidates with higher qualifications — Degree, Diploma, Engineering Degree, or those who have already completed an Act Apprenticeship — from applying (the only exception is MLT, which requires Std XII).

Is there a written exam?

No. Selection is a merit list based purely on Std X marks — there's no written test or interview.

Is the application fee refundable?

No. ICF states no refund will be entertained under any circumstances once the fee is remitted.

Do candidates from outside Tamil Nadu qualify?

Only candidates resident in, or registered with, an Employment Exchange within Tamil Nadu are eligible to apply — except wards of Railway employees, who are exempt from this condition.

What's the difference between the Fresher and Ex-ITI quotas?

Freshers are 10th/12th-pass candidates without a trade certificate (330 posts, 2-year training for most trades); Ex-ITI candidates already hold an NCVT/SCVT National Trade Certificate in the relevant trade (680 posts, 1-year training).

Does this apprenticeship guarantee a Railway job afterward?

No. The notification states this is purely for apprenticeship training and confers no right to employment in ICF or Railways after completion.