Yes — Pakistan Railways is bringing retired employees back into service. The railway’s Headquarters Office in Lahore has invited applications from its own retired supervisory and technical staff for 45 contract-based posts in the Carriage & Wagon and Mechanical Loco departments. The engagement is for one year, extendable by another year, and the last date to apply is 15 October 2026 — just two days from now, so anyone eligible should move fast.
Key Takeaways
- Pakistan Railways is re-engaging retired staff on a one-year contract (extendable) for 45 posts across the Carriage & Wagon and Loco departments.
- Only former railway employees aged 62 or below with a clean service record and medical fitness are eligible.
- Applications must be posted to the Chief Personnel Officer, Lahore HQ, with a Rs. 500 postal order — deadline 15 October 2026.
What’s on Offer: 45 Contract Posts
This is not a general open recruitment. The advertisement targets former railway employees who served in the advertised categories, and the roles are all hands-on technical positions tied to rolling stock and locomotive maintenance — coaches, wagons, diesel engines and electrical systems.
The 45 posts are split between two departments:
Carriage & Wagon Department (21 posts)
| Post | BPS | Education | Experience Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXR/Grade-III | 14 | DAE (Mechanical) | 20 years in rolling stock repair & maintenance |
| Foreman/Grade-I | 14 | DAE (Mechanical) | 20 years in rolling stock repair & maintenance |
| TXR/Grade-II | 12 | DAE (Mechanical) | 10 years relevant |
| Sub Engineer–II / Senior Chargeman | 12 | DAE (Mechanical) | 10 years relevant |
| Mistry | 09 | Middle | 10 years relevant |
| Skilled (C&W Fitter, Coach Builder, Welder) | 06 | Middle | 10 years relevant |
Mechanical Loco Department (24 posts)
| Post | BPS | Education | Experience Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreman/Grade-I & Electrical Foreman/Diesel Grade-I | 14 | DAE (Mechanical) | 10 years relevant |
| AFO / Senior Chargeman, AEFO Diesel & FIC | 12 | DAE (Mechanical) | 10 years relevant |
| JCM & S.E. (Electrical) Diesel | 11 | DAE (Mechanical) | 10 years relevant |
| Mistry (Mechanical & Electrical) Diesel | 09 | Middle | 10 years relevant |
| Skilled Wireman Diesel & Fitter (Mech. & Electrical) Diesel | 06 | Middle | 10 years relevant |
Who Is Eligible
The criteria are narrow and specific — this drive is designed to pull experienced hands back into the workshops, not to open fresh hiring:
- Only retired Pakistan Railways employees who served in the advertised categories can apply. Outsiders are not eligible.
- Maximum age is 62 years.
- Applicants must be physically fit and pass a medical fitness examination at a Pakistan Railways Hospital.
- Not eligible: employees who were compulsorily retired, dismissed, removed from service, or retired on medical grounds.
Selected candidates will be called for an interview before final engagement. No TA/DA (travel or daily allowance) is paid for appearing in the interview, and appointees can be posted anywhere in the railway system.
How to Apply (By Post Only)
There is no online application for these posts. The process is entirely paper-based:
- Type out your application and address it to the Chief Personnel Officer, Pakistan Railways, Headquarters Office, Empress Road, Lahore.
- Attach attested copies of educational certificates, your computerized CNIC, railway retired identity card or experience certificate, PPO (Pension Payment Order), LPC, and service certificate.
- Include three fresh passport-size photographs and three postal envelopes (with RAD/receipt cards) bearing your complete address and cell number.
- Add a postal order of Rs. 500 as the processing fee — applications without it will not be considered.
The application must reach the Chief Personnel Officer’s office by 15 October 2026. Late applications will not be entertained.
Why Railways Re-engages Retired Staff
This is not a new idea for Pakistan Railways. The department has repeatedly turned to retired staff when workshops and sheds face skill shortages — retired foremen, examiners and skilled fitters often know ageing diesel locomotives and rolling stock better than anyone else available, and re-engaging them is faster than recruiting and training new hands from scratch. Contract-based re-engagement also avoids adding permanent pension liabilities to a department that has long struggled with its wage and pension bill.
For retired employees, the arrangement offers a way to keep earning with familiar work for one more year, without giving up their existing pension. (One job portal reports the pay is the retiree’s last pay drawn plus usual allowances — but this figure was not corroborated across sources, so applicants should confirm the exact terms from the official advertisement or the CPO’s office.)
A Note on the Source
Pakistan Railways does not maintain a consistently updated online jobs portal, so vacancy announcements like this one circulate mainly through job-listing websites that republish newspaper advertisements. The details above — 45 posts, the department-wise split, the age limit of 62, the Rs. 500 postal order, the 15 October 2026 deadline, and the Empress Road, Lahore application address — are consistent across multiple independent job boards. Still, before sending your documents, verify against the original printed advertisement (typically published in national dailies) or contact the Chief Personnel Officer’s office directly.
Conclusion
If you are a retired Pakistan Railways employee in a technical category — TXR, foreman, sub engineer, chargeman, mistry, or a skilled fitter, welder, wireman or coach builder — this is a genuine, officially advertised window to return to work for a year on contract. The window, however, is almost shut: 15 October 2026 is the final date. Gather your attested documents, your PPO and service records, the Rs. 500 postal order, and get the application posted to Empress Road, Lahore, without delay.
