Can Railway Employees Travel for Free on Every Train? Know the Rules Regarding Passes

Free Train Travel: Railway employees are entitled to pass facilities, but they cannot travel for free on all trains. Let us understand the rules regarding railway passes and which trains offer this benefit.

Railway Employee Pass: People often wonder whether railway employees can travel for free on every train. While railway employees are generally provided with various pass facilities for travel, this does not mean they are permitted to travel for free on every single train. Recently, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw provided information in Parliament regarding the pass facilities available to railway employees and the associated rules.

Under the Railway Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986, railway employees are issued various types of passes. These include facilities such as Privilege Passes, Duty Passes, and Complimentary Passes granted after retirement. Both the employees and their eligible family members can avail the benefits of these passes to travel on specific trains.

On which trains are railway passes valid?

Railway employee passes are valid on several premium trains, including:

Vande Bharat Express
Rajdhani Express
Shatabdi Express
Duronto Express
Hamsafar Express
Gatimaan Express

According to the Railways, Vande Bharat and Gatimaan Express are considered equivalent to Shatabdi-class trains. However, the class in which an employee can travel depends on their rank, pay level, and eligibility.

On which trains is free travel not available?

Railway passes do not apply to every train. Employees cannot use this facility at all on luxury and tourist trains. These include:

Maharajas' Express
Palace on Wheels

These trains are primarily operated by entities such as IRCTC and state tourism development corporations. No special provisions under railway pass rules are extended to employees for these trains. In such cases, railway employees travel by purchasing tickets just like ordinary passengers.

What is the complete rule?

The Railways has stated that employees are entitled to pass facilities only on trains covered under the regulations; consequently, they are not permitted to travel on every train. They are required to purchase tickets for luxury and tourism-oriented trains. Additionally, when traveling using a Privilege Ticket Order (PTO), railway employees must pay a portion of the fare—approximately one-third of the cost.