Retention of railway accommodation – Common General Provisions: Railway Board Order RBE No. 29/2026 dated 30.03.2026
भारत सरकार GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
रेल मंत्रालय MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
रेलवे बोर्ड RAILWAY BOARD
RBE No. 029/2026
No. E (G) 2026/Awas Niti/QR/5
New Delhi, Date: 30.03.2026
The General Manager PHODS, CAO/C All Indian Railways
DG, CTIs
DG, RDSO
Subject: Retention of railway accommodation Common General Provisions
The full Board, in the exercise of the powers vested in it to make reasonable relaxations in public interest for a class/group of employees in all or any of the provisions regarding house allotment / retention, have approved the following common general provisions on retention of railway accommodation:
1. Only one railway accommodation/quarter can be retained by a railway staff/officer – either at the first station of retention or at the current place of posting – Illustration box is as below:
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Illustration-I-A: Employee (A) is transferred from Station X to Station Y and chooses, under permissible grounds, to retain the railway quarter at Station X. In due course, A also gets allotted a railway accommodation at the current place of posting (Station Y). Subsequently, A is transferred from Station Y to Station Z and on the date of transfer order, A is in retention of quarter at Station X. In this case, even after transfer to Z. and in modification to RB letter no. E (G) 2022 QR 2-10 dated 04.12.2024 where only one month was permitted, A may exercise one option, within two months of the date of relinquishing the charge at Y, to either continue retention at X provided it is on permissible grounds or to retain quarter at Y provided it is on permissible grounds and quarter at X has been vacated within this two-month period. Illustration-I-B: Employee (A) has a retained railway accommodation at a previous place of posting (Station X) and has also been provided accommodation at Y (the current place of posting). A may exercise an option, two (02) months before the due date of superannuation or along-with the voluntary retirement/resignation request, whether she / he would retain the quarter, on superannuation/ voluntary retirement/resignation ground, at Station X (the previous place of posting) or at Station Y (the current place of posting). |
2. Retainees (i.e those who are in retention of a railway quarter at a previous place of posting) are required to vacate railway accommodation at the current place of posting within two (02) months of the date of relieving / relinquishing the charge and after this two-month period the license fee/rent charged would be equivalent to the rate of HRA for that station w.r.t. that employee’s basic pay. Illustration is as below:
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Illustration: Employee (A) is transferred from Station X to Station Y and chooses under permissible ground to retain the railway quarter at the previous place of posting (Station X). In due course, the Employee (A) also gets allotted a railway accommodation at the current place of posting (Station Y). Subsequently, A is transferred from Y to Z. In this case, if A has opted as per para-1 above to retain the quarter at Station X, then she / he would have to vacate the quarter at Station Y within two months of the date of relinquishing the charge at Station Y and after this two-month period the license fee/ rent for the quarter at Station Y would be equivalent to the rate of HRA for Station Y w.r.t. that A’s basic pay. [Note: If a retainee takes voluntary retirement or superannuates from Station Y, it would be dealt on similar lines.] |
3. In partial modification to para-3 of RBE 75/2022 and in all transfer cases in Railways: quarters may be retained at the previous place of posting under ‘2+6’ Rule; i.e. initial two (2) months from the date of charge relinquishing/relieving @normal licence fee and next six (6) months @ double the normal licence fee; as below:-
| SN | Retention allowed vide RB letter under ref. | Extant retention vide RB letter under ref. at Col. II | as partially modified under instant instructions on retention |
| (i) | On Transfer/posting to following Zonal Railways viz. SECR, WCR, ECOR, NER, ECR, SWR, RCF, MCF, CLW, RWP-Bela vide ref para-1-A of RBE 023/2026 read with para-3 of RBE 75/2022, and including transfer / posting vide RBE 37/2023; RBE 105/2025 and para-1-vi of RBE 75/2022. | initial 2 months @ normal license fee and thereafter @special license fee | ‘2+6’ Rule and thereafter @special license fee
or Children education ground (as applicable) + thereafter any remaining tenure @ Special license fee. |
| (ii) | On Transfer/posting to Zonal Railways other than at SN (i) above. [Ref. para-1.(a) (i) of RBE 99/2020] | ‘2+6’ Rule | ‘2+6’ Rule |
| (iii) | DRMs allowed retention at the previous place of posting. [Ref. RBE 38/2024]
[note: double compounding of benefits is not permitted as stipulated vide RBE 026/2026] |
initial 2 months @ normal license fee and remaining tenure @ special license fee
or initial 2 months @normal license fee thereafter + children retention on education ground (if applicable) remaining tenure @ Special license fee |
‘2+6’ Rule and remaining tenure @ special license fee
or initial 2 months @ normal license fee thereafter + children retention on education ground (if applicable) remaining tenure @ Special license fee |
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Footnotes:
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4. Residual service: Since there are no extant instructions on retention w.r.t. residual service, Railway quarter may be retained @ normal license fee in transfer in Railways if superannuation is due within one (01) year from the date of transfer order/charge relinquishing.
5. This policy excludes earmarked accommodation, retention of which would continue to be governed in terms of extant instructions vide Railway Board’s letter nos. E(G) 2001 RN4-10 dated 17.09.2002, para 7 of letter no. E (G) 2006 QR 1-14 (A) dated 20.11.2006, letter no. 2001/G(acc.)/5/17-Part IV dated 13.07.2001 & letter no. E(G)2022RN2-1 dated 05.04.2022 or as revised from time to time by the Board.
6. The policy instructions regarding retention of railway accommodation by staff of Railway Audit Department would continue to be governed in terms of Railway Board letter no E (G) 2005 QR 1-13 dated 06.07.2006 (RBE 88/2006) subject to modified provisions w.r.t. the same as contained in the instant policy instructions.
Please acknowledge receipt and ensure compliance.
(Pranav Kumar Mallick)
ED/Transformation
Railway Board
(Neilam Yaadav)
Director/Estt. (Genl)
Railway Board
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