The Railway Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986 were made by the President under the proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution. They regulate free passes and Privilege Ticket Orders (PTOs) for railway servants and their families. Since 01.01.2016 the class of pass is linked to the employee's level in the 7th CPC pay matrix.
Key Definitions
- Pass: an authority to travel by rail free of charge.
- Privilege Ticket Order (PTO): an authority that can be exchanged for a ticket on paying one-third of the normal fare.
- The rules do not apply to apprentices under the Apprentices Act or to casual or daily-wage workers.
- 'Pay' for running staff means basic pay plus 30% of it (or any other percentage declared from time to time).
Family and Dependent Relatives
- Family includes the spouse (earning or not), sons below 21 who are wholly dependent, sons 21 or older who are bona fide students or invalid, and unmarried daughters of any age (earning or not).
- Widowed and legally divorced daughters are included if they are dependent on the employee.
- Dependent relatives (when the employee's father is not alive) include the mother, unmarried or widowed sister, and a brother below 21 living with and wholly dependent on the employee.
- A relative is not dependent if their income from all sources exceeds 15% of the employee's monthly pay (or the alternative pension-linked limit, whichever is more).
- Not more than 2 dependent relatives may be included in one pass or PTO, and the total should not exceed 5 persons excluding attendants; this limit does not apply when only family members are included.
Kinds of Passes
- Duty pass: metal pass (gold, silver, bronze), cheque pass and card pass, for journeys on duty.
- Privilege pass (including passes while on deputation).
- School pass.
- Post-retirement complimentary pass (PRCP).
- Complimentary pass to widows.
- Residential card pass (dispensed with from 01.09.2008).
- Transfer / retirement pass.
- Special pass.
The gold pass is for the Chairman and Members of the Railway Board, General Managers and officers of equivalent status, and the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety. Silver passes are for HAG and SAG officers; bronze passes for Selection Grade and JAG officers.
Privilege Pass Entitlement (7th CPC)
| Employee | Class of privilege pass | Sets in a calendar year | PRCP (after 20 years' service) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gazetted officers (Group A and B) | First Class 'A' | 6 sets | 3 sets |
| Non-gazetted, Level 6 and above | First Class | 1 set up to the end of 5 years' service; 3 sets after 5 years | 2 sets |
| Non-gazetted, Level 5 | Second Class 'A' | 1 set up to the end of 5 years' service; 3 sets after 5 years | 2 sets |
| Non-gazetted, Levels 1 to 4 | Second / Sleeper Class | 1 set up to the end of 5 years' service; 3 sets after 5 years | 2 sets |
- Employees in Levels 1 to 4 get one set of Second Class 'A' pass in place of one Second/Sleeper Class set, even with less than 5 years of service (upgraded pass).
- A Second Class 'A' pass allows travel in AC 3-tier in trains other than Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duranto.
- Staff already drawing First Class passes continue to get them.
For JE Candidates
A JE is in Level 6, so on promotion a JE becomes entitled to First Class privilege passes (3 sets a year after 5 years of service), and to 2 sets of post-retirement complimentary passes after 20 years of railway service.
School Pass
- Issued to each student member of the family on a certificate from a recognised institution, in addition to privilege passes.
- 3 sets (or 6 half sets) per child in a calendar year, between the place where a parent lives and the school, during vacations of at least 3 consecutive days.
- A parent or guardian may be included for a boy under 18 or a girl of any age. It may be issued up to 4 months in advance.
Post-Retirement and Widow Passes
- PRCP is given to retired employees who were eligible for passes in service; after 20 years of service, gazetted officers get 3 sets and non-gazetted staff 2 sets a year.
- A retired employee above 65 may take a companion in place of an attendant in a First/First 'A' class pass, if no eligible family member below 65 is included.
- PRCP is not issued to employees removed or dismissed from service on or after 26.10.2005, except from the date a compassionate allowance is granted.
- A widow gets half the number of post-retirement passes her husband was getting, in the same class. If the employee died in service, she gets at least one set every alternate year even if his service was short of the PRCP requirement.
Transfer Pass, Special Pass and Casual Labour
- A transfer or retirement pass covers carriage of household goods; the limit on the number of dependants does not apply. On retirement or death it must be applied for within 1 year.
- Special passes are issued for medical treatment advised by a railway doctor, sports and cultural events, court attendance, recognised trade union and co-operative work, and D&A inquiries.
- Casual labour are not railway servants and get no pass. After temporary status (120 days of continuous service in open line, 360 days in projects) they get 1 set a year up to the 5th year and 3 sets from the 6th year.
Link With Leave Rules
Up to 10 days of LAP can be encashed when a pass or PTO is availed, provided 30 days of LAP remain at credit; see the Leave Rules chapter.