Indian Railways sets 2% manpower target for 2026-27, 29,600 jobs

India Apr 27, 2026

Indian Railways is set to set a 2% manpower rationalization target in 2026-27, which means nearly 29,600 jobs will be redistributed or surrendered from its current staff of 1.48 million.
The Railway Board shared the update last week, saying all changes will happen through their HRMS portal.

Northern Railways faces biggest cuts

Northern Railways faces the biggest cuts with over 3,300 positions impacted.
Eastern, Central, and Western zones will each see 2,544, 2,492, and 2,339 jobs changed or removed.
Even smaller units aren't spared (some will lose up to 217 posts).
The move is part of a bigger push to boost efficiency across all railway zones and keep up with annual 2026-27 manpower rationalization targets phased evenly across each quarter.