An order to this effect has been issued by UK Tiwari, Director, Establishment (N), Railway Board, to the General Managers of all Zonal Railways and production units.
Under the earlier Railway Board orders, retired employees could be engaged on a contractual basis against vacant non-gazetted posts, para-medical posts in hospitals and dispensaries, and instructor or senior instructor positions in Centralised Training Institutes (CTIs). The validity of this arrangement was fixed until October 15, 2026, meaning the scheme was due to expire in the coming October.
After reviewing the scheme, the Railway Ministry has decided to extend it beyond October 15, 2026, and continue it until October 15, 2028. This means experienced retired railway employees can now be re-engaged for another two years wherever their services are required.
The Railway Board has made it clear that such re-engagement will be permitted only in extremely necessary circumstances and exigencies, and only after proper scrutiny and assessment.
The order also specifies that the remuneration, allowances and leave applicable to retired employees covered under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) will be determined in accordance with the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, guidelines dated December 9, 2020.
For employees who retired under the National Pension System (NPS), the terms of service and remuneration will be governed by the Ministry of Finance order dated October 18, 2023.
The Railway Board has further clarified that cases in which decisions had already been taken differently will not be reopened before their normal tenure or until October 15, 2026. All other existing rules and conditions will continue to remain applicable.
With the extension, the contractual re-engagement mechanism for retired railway employees will remain available until October 15, 2028, subject to the conditions and restrictions specified by the Railway Board.
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