What is the RRB ALP photo size limit?

The RRB ALP photo must be a JPG/JPEG between 20 KB and 50 KB on a white background — no caps, no sunglasses, recent colour, face clearly visible. Use the BharatTools Railway Photo Resizer — it crops to the right aspect, sets the white background, and lands the file inside the 20–50 KB band in one pass, entirely in your browser.

What is the RRB ALP signature size limit?

The signature must be a JPG/JPEG between 20 KB and 50 KB — sign in running hand on plain white paper using a black or blue pen, then scan or photograph it. If your scan is bigger than 50 KB or smaller than 20 KB, the BharatTools Image Compressor with a custom KB target lands the file inside the band.

What is the RRB ALP SC/ST certificate upload spec?

Mandatory only if you're applying under SC or ST category and have opted for the free rail travel authority. Format: JPG/JPEG, file size between 50 KB and 100 KB. Use the BharatTools Image Compressor with a custom KB target of 100 — it binary-searches JPEG quality to land within ±5%, comfortably inside the band.

Can I apply to more than one RRB zone for ALP?

No. The notification explicitly states you can apply to only one RRB regional zone. Submitting applications to multiple zones results in all of them being rejected. Pick the zone where you'd most prefer to be posted before you start the form — the choice cannot be changed after submission.

How does the RRB ALP fee refund work?

After you appear in CBT-1, RRB refunds part of the application fee to the bank account you entered on the form. General/OBC/EWS candidates get ₹400 back out of the ₹500 paid. SC/ST/Female/Ex-Servicemen/Minority/EBC candidates get the entire ₹250 back. Make sure your account holder name, account number, and IFSC are correct — wrong details delay the refund.

What does Aadhaar verification do during RRB registration?

RRB pulls your name, DOB, gender, and parents' names from the Aadhaar database after you complete the OTP step. This is highly recommended — it speeds up biometric authentication at the exam hall and reduces the chance of a name-mismatch rejection at document verification. Without Aadhaar linking you can still apply, but be ready for stricter manual checks.

Why does the RRB portal reject my photo?

Three common reasons: (1) wrong format — must be JPG/JPEG, not PNG/HEIC/WebP; (2) outside the 20–50 KB band — too small or too large; (3) wrong background or composition — RRB rejects coloured backgrounds, caps, sunglasses, or photos where the face isn't clearly visible. The Railway Photo Resizer handles all three in a single in-browser step.

Are my photos uploaded to BharatTools' servers?

No. Every BharatTools tool runs entirely in your browser. Your photo, signature, and certificate never leave your device — open DevTools Network tab while you compress and you'll see zero requests. We don't see your file. We don't store it. We don't need to.

How to Fill the RRB ALP Application Form

Step-by-step guide to the centralized rrbapply.gov.in portal — Aadhaar-linked registration, RRB zone, education and CBT-2 trade, photo (20–50 KB), signature (20–50 KB), SC/ST certificate (50–100 KB), and fee payment with refund setup. Use the in-browser tools we link inline; nothing leaves your device.

Updated June 2026

What you'll need before you start

Active mobile number and email ID — kept live through the whole recruitment cycle; OTPs and exam updates land here.
Aadhaar number — strongly recommended for OTP-based KYC during registration and faster biometric verification at the exam hall.
Class 10 (Matriculation) details — roll number, board, year of passing. Plus your ITI trade / CCAA apprenticeship / Diploma / Engineering degree details with college name.
Recent passport-size photo — colour, white background, no caps or sunglasses, JPG between 20 KB and 50 KB.
Signature scan — running hand in black/blue ink on plain white paper, JPG between 20 KB and 50 KB.
SC/ST community certificate as JPG between 50 KB and 100 KB — only if applying under SC/ST and opting for the free rail travel pass.
Bank details for refund — account holder name, account number, and IFSC. Most of the fee is refunded after you appear in CBT-1.

RRB ALP 2026 photo, signature and certificate specifications

The portal rejects uploads that miss any of these — wrong format, wrong size, wrong background. Match the spec exactly.

Field	Photo	Signature	SC/ST cert
Format	JPG / JPEG	JPG / JPEG	JPG / JPEG
File size	20 KB – 50 KB	20 KB – 50 KB	50 KB – 100 KB
Background	White	White paper	As scanned
Composition	Face clear, no caps / sunglasses	Black or blue ink, running hand	Mandatory only for SC/ST + free travel

Six phases to submit the form

Phase 1Register on the RRB portal

Phase 2Pick your RRB zone

Phase 3Education & CBT-2 trade

Phase 4Upload photo, signature & certificate

Phase 5Pay the fee (refund setup)

Phase 6Final review & confirmation

Phase 1 — Register on the centralized RRB portal

Open rrbapply.gov.in and click Apply at the top right, then Create an Account. Enter your demographics exactly as they appear on your Class 10 certificate: nationality, full name (and whether your name has been changed), date of birth, gender, father's name, and mother's name. A mismatch with the Class 10 marksheet is the most common reason applications get held up at document verification later.

Enter your Aadhaar number and click Verify Using Aadhaar to complete OTP-based KYC — RRB strongly recommends this because it speeds up biometric authentication at the exam hall. Then enter your email and mobile, generate separate OTPs for each, type them into the verification boxes, set a secure password, and hit Preview and Create Account.

Critical: once your account is created, your name, date of birth, mobile number, and email ID cannot be changed — not even during the correction window. Cross-check character-by-character before submit.

Step 1 of 6

Tools used in this guide

Railway / RRB Photo Resizer

20–50 KB, white background. Done in one step.

Image Compressor — 50 KB

Signature preset — binary-search JPEG that lands at or under 50 KB.

Image Compressor — 100 KB

SC/ST certificate preset — lands at or under 100 KB.

Document Photo Maker

Removes background on-device and sets clean white for portal uploads.

Quick Send

Move prepared files between your phone and laptop peer-to-peer.

Why use BharatTools instead of uploading to a generic compressor?

Every tool above runs locally in your browser — your photo, signature, and certificate never touch a server. Open DevTools Network tab while you compress: zero requests. If you need to move the prepared files from your phone to a cybercafé laptop, use Quick Send — peer-to-peer, also no upload.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to prepare your photo?

The Railway Photo Resizer handles dimensions, KB target, and white background in one pass.

Open Railway Photo Resizer →

Specifications based on the centralized RRB ALP notification on rrbapply.gov.in. Updated June 2026. Always cross-check the current notification on rrbapply.gov.in before submitting — RRB occasionally revises file-size bands and the refundable portion of the fee between cycles.