The Railway Servants Pass Rules, 1986.
Pass Rule No.1: Short Title, Commencement And Application
In exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution, the President hereby makes the following Rules, regulating the issue of passes and privilege Ticket Orders to Railway servants, for travel by trains namely;
1. Short Title, Commencement And Application:-
(1) These Rules may be called the Railway Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
(3) Except where specifically provided to the contrary they shall apply to all railway servants under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) but shall not apply to;
(i) An apprentice engaged under the Apprentices Act;
(ii) A person in the casual employment or employed on daily wages;
(iii) Any person under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways who by a general or special order is, excluded from the facilities of Pass or a Privilege Ticket Order under these rules.
Pass Rule No.2: Definitions Under Railway Pass Rules
In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires;
(a) Adopted Child under Railway Pass Rules means a child for whom there is satisfactory proof of adoption irrespective of the fact whether such adoption is permissible or not under the personal law governing the railway servant concerned.
(b) Attendant under Railway Pass Rules means a person exclusively employed on salary in the personal service of a railway servant.
(c) Dependent Relative under Railway Pass Rules in relation to a railway servant, whose father is not alive, means
(i) Mother including a divorced mother;
(ii) Unmarried or widowed sister;
(iii) Brother / step-brother under 21 years of age provided he resides with and is wholly dependent on the railway servant;
(iv) Invalid brother of any age, and
(v) Brother who has attained the age of 21 years and is a bona fide student of a recognized educational institution;
(vi) Legally divorced sister;
[Authority: No.E(W)98PS5-1/51, 13.10.1998, ACS No.11]
(vii) Widow mother-in-law in case of widows appointed on compassionate grounds, whether her father is alive or not.
[Authority: RBE No.194/2001, No.E(W)2001PS5-1/3, 24.09.2001, ACS No.37]
Provided that a person shall not be considered to be a dependent relative if his/her income from all sources including pension, dearness relief, etc. exceeds 15% of pay per month of the Railway servant or the amount arrived at by adding minimum Pension / Family pension of Rs.9000, excluding the element of additional pension to old pensioners, and the dearness relief admissible to the pensioners / family pension thereon, rounded off to the nearest ten rupee figure, whichever is more.
[Authority: RBE No.132/2016, No.E(W)2016/PS5-1/7, 24.11.2016, ACS No.75]
Provided further that a Pass or Privilege Ticket Order may be issued in favor of dependent relatives mentioned at (iv) and (v) only on production of a certificate from a Railway medical officer or the head of the recognized institution, as the case may be.
Provided further that dependent relatives may be included in the Privilege Passes / PTOs given to the railway servants in cases where father is missing for a period of at least 7 years Passes / PT0s can also be given to the sisters in similar circumstances. However, an affidavit as to the period since when the person is missing, duly attested by a Magistrate is necessary.
(d) Family under Railway Pass Rules includes;
(i) Spouse of a railway servant whether earning or not;
(ii) Son or sons who have not attained the age of 21 years and are wholly dependent on the railway servant;
(iii) Son or sons of the age of 21 and above who are;
(a) Bona fide students of any recognized educational institution;
(b) Engaged in any research work and do not get any scholarship / stipend;
(c) Working as an articled clerk under the Chartered Accountant;
(d) Invalid, on appropriate certificate from Railway Doctor;
(iv) Unmarried daughters of any age whether earning or not;
(v) Widowed daughters provided they are dependent on the railway servant;
(vi) Legally divorced daughter who is dependent on the railway servant;
(e) The term Guardian need not necessarily be interpreted in its legal sense. It may mean an adult dependant relative or an adult member of the family; a paid nurse Governess or an attendant. When none of these are available a pass in favor of a Guardian, as admissible under these Rules, may be given to another person at General Manager’s discretion.
(f) Pass under Railway Pass Rules means an authority given by the Ministry of Railways or any railway administration to a person, authorizing him to travel by rail gratuitously.
(g) Privilege Ticket Order (hereinafter referred to as P.T.O.) is an authority issued in favor of a railway servant which may be exchanged for a passenger rail ticket on payment of one third of the normal fare;
(h) Railway Servant under Railway Pass Rules means a person who is a member of a service or who holds a post under the administrative control of Railway Board and includes a person who holds a post in the Railway Board. Persons lent from a service or post which is not under the administrative control of the Railway Board to a service or post which is under such administrative control do not come within the scope of this definition. This term excludes casual labour for whom special orders have been issued.
(i) Recognized Educational Institution for the purpose of these Rules means any school, college, university or institution recognized by the Government for imparting education or training in any discipline – general, technical, professional or military.
(j) Pay means the amount drawn monthly by a railway servant as
(i) Basic pay;
(ii) In the case of Running Staff, basic pay plus 30% thereof or any other percentage of basic pay declared as pay from time to time;
(iii) Any other pay which may be specially classified as pay by the President.
Non practicing allowance granted to Railway medical officers should not be added to pay for the purpose of determining pass benefits / facility.
[Authority: No.E(W)2000 PS 5-1/10, 23.01.2002]
(k) (i) Set means one Pass or P.T.O. for outward and return journeys;
(ii) Half-set means a Pass or P.T.O. issued from one station to another.
(l) Schedule under Railway Pass Rules means the Schedule appended to these Rules.
(m) Year means a Calendar Year.
Note: For the purpose of issue of Special Pass on medical grounds under Schedule-VII, the term Family and Dependant Relatives shall be as defined in paras 601(5) and 601(6) respectively of IRMM, 2000.
[Authority: RBE No.185/2000, No.E(W)2000PS5-1/33, 20.10.2000, ACS No.29]
Pass Rule No.3: Officer Or Authority Competent To Issue / Sign A Pass / PTO
A pass or PTO may be issued by such officer or authority and may be signed by such officer as the Central Government (Ministry, of Railways) may from time to time specify.
Provided that until such authorities or officers are specified, the Pass or PTO shall be signed and issued in accordance with the instructions / orders issued by the Central Government in the Ministry of Railways and in force at the commencement of these Rules.
Pass Rule No.4: Kinds Of Passes
(1) Railway servant or the entitled member of his/ her family and dependent relatives as defined in these Rules may be issued the following kinds of passes, namely;
(i) Duty pass;
(ii) Privilege Pass including passes while on deputation;
(iii) School Pass;
(iv) Post-Retirement Complimentary Pass;
(v) Widow Pass;
(vi) Residential Card Pass; and
(vii) Special Pass.
(2) The Passes specified in sub-rule (1) and PTOs may be issued in the form of:-
(i) Metal Pass; or
(ii) Card Pass; or
(iii) Check Pass; or
(iv) Electronic format as prescribed in relevant administrative instructions issued by Ministry of Railways (Railway Board)
(3) In case of passes (i.e. Complementary etc.) being issued to non-Railway Servants, the form (i.e. Electronic/ otherwise) shall be as prescribed under in relevant administrative instructions issued by Ministry of Railways (Railway Board)”.
[Authority: Board’s Letter No.E(W)2016/PS5-1/9, 21.02.2020 (RBE No. 24/2020) ACS No.84]
Pass Rule No.5: Duty Pass
(1) A railway servant may be issued a duty pass for performing journey on duty; and
(2) The category of railway servants, the circumstances and the conditions subject to which a duty pass may be issued under sub rule (1) shall be specified in Schedule-I.
Pass Rule No.6: Privilege Pass
(1) A railway servant may be issued on his / her request a privilege pass or a privilege ticket order in the prescribed format (Annexure A) from one station to another as requested by him / her. Privilege Passes / P.T.Os are admissible for self, family, dependent relatives and adopted child, as defined in these Rules; and
(2) The category of railway servants, the circumstances and the conditions under which a pass under sub-rule(1) may be issued shall be as specified in Schedule-II.
Pass Rule No.7: School Pass
(1) A school pass may be issued to the son or daughter of a railway servant who is a bona-fide student of any recognized educational institution; and
(2) The category of railway servants whose son or daughter may he issued a pass under sub-rule (1), the circumstances and the conditions subject to which such passes may be issued shall be as specified in Schedule-III.
Pass Rule No.8: Post Retirement Complimentary Pass
(1) A post-retirement complimentary pass may be issued to a railway servant after retirement or after he ceases to be a railway servant; and
(2) The category of railway servants, the circumstances and the conditions subject to which a pass under sub-rule (1) may be issued shall be as specified in Schedule-IV.
Pass Rule No.9: Passes To Widows Of Railway Servants
(1) Passes may be issued to the widows of railway employees, who were in Railway service on or after 12.03.1987 and expired on or after that date whether after their retirement or during service and had opted for the scheme or were automatically governed under the scheme; and
[Widows of Railway employees who were in service before 12.03.1987 as well as widows of railway servants who have opted out of the scheme of widow pass have also been made eligible for widow pass, on one time payment of Rs.250 towards the cost of 2 sets of P.T.O.
[Authority: RBE No.83/1998, No.E(W)95PS5-1/29, 24.04.1998, ACS No.7 and, RBE No.52/2001, No.E(W)/PS5-1/55, 12.03.2001, ACS No.33]
Widows can draw complimentary passes from Railway Offices located in or near their place of residence.
[Authority: No.E(W)85/PS5-8/2, 25.09.1996]
(2) The circumstances and the conditions subject to which a pass under sub-rule (1) may be issued shall be as specified in Schedule-V.
Pass Rule No.10: Residential Card Pass
(1) A residential card pass may be issued to a railway servant for performing rail journey from the place of residence to the place of his work; and
(2) The category of railway servants, the circumstances and the conditions subject to which a pass under sub-rule(1) may be issued shall be as specified in Schedule-VI.
Pass Rule No.11: Special Pass
(1) A special pass may be issued to Railway servants, family members or dependent relatives as the case may be, on;
(a) Medical grounds;
(b) Sports account;
(c) For attending children camp or scouts camp;
(e) Cultural functions; and
(e) On any other occasion which the Ministry of Railways or a Railway Administration deems fit.
(2) The circumstances and the conditions subject to which a pass under sub-rule(1) may be issued shall be as specified in Schedule-VII.
Pass Rule No.12: Pass / PTO For Non-railway Servants
Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing rules, a pass or PTO may be issued to a person who is not under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways or the Railway Administration for such purpose and subject to such terms and conditions as may be specified in the instructions issued by the Central Government (Ministry of Railways) from time to time in this behalf.
Pass Rule No.13: Loss/ Misuse/ Fraudulent Use Of Pass/PTOs
Instructions given in Annexure-B may be followed for dealing with Loss / Misuse / Fraudulent use of Passes and P.T.Os.
Pass Rule No.14: Powers Of General Manager To Condone Irregularities
General Managers are authorized to consider on merits and condone the irregularities in the cases enumerated in Annexure-C. These powers shall not be re-delegated to any lower authority.
Pass Rule No.15: Income Tax On Monetary Value Of Passes / PTOs
Income Tax/ Monetary Value Of Passes And Privilege Ticket Orders:-
Monetary value of passes and privilege ticket orders is not subject to income tax.
Pass Rule No.16: Status Of Pass Manuals etc
The provisions contained in Pass Manuals issued by the respective Railway or any other provisions on Passes contained in any other Manual / Rules etc. shall be valid provided it is not in contravention with the provisions laid down in these Rules.
Pass Rule No.17: Powers To Modify etc
Powers to include, modify, amend or delete or relax any of the provisions contained in these Rules shall vest with the Ministry of Railways.
Pass Rule No.18: Removal Of Doubts
If any doubt arises as to the interpretation of the provision of these rules, the same shall be referred to the Ministry of Railways for decision.