The Union government has just given railway employees posted in Jammu & Kashmir’s Valley region a welcome bit of good news. A fresh order dated April 29, 2025 keeps their special concessions alive for another three years—from August 1, 2024 right through to July 31, 2027. In other words, New Delhi is tipping its hat to men and women who run trains, manage stations, and keep the rail network humming in one of India’s most demanding postings.
The directive—Railway Board circular RBE No. 34/2025—does something simple yet important: it puts railway staff on the same footing as colleagues in other central ministries who serve in the Valley. Instead of reinventing the wheel, the board has copied the Department of Personnel & Training’s guidelines “mutatis mutandis,” meaning every condition and caveat that applies elsewhere now applies to railway personnel too.
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Back in September 2022, the government rolled over the very same perks for three years, covering the period from August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2024. Without the new extension, those benefits would have lapsed in a couple of months. Now there is no gap, and staff across all ten Valley districts—Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, Kupwara, Pulwama, Srinagar, Kulgam, Shopian, Ganderbal, and Bandipora—can breathe easy.
So what exactly is on the table?
A family relocation. If an employee chooses to move their family to a safer or more convenient city, the government covers the cost of travel and relocation. This includes a Composite Transfer Grant, about 80 per cent of the employee’s last drawn basic salary.
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A daily attendance allowance. Not everyone wants to uproot. For those who keep their families in the Valley, there is a Rs 113 allowance for every day on the job. It is meant to offset extra commuting or incidental costs and mirrors the in-city travel reimbursement limits set by the finance ministry.
Housing-related help. Staff who choose the transfer-grant route can't also claim the Rs 113 allowance; you get one or the other. That said, moving families out frees them from daily worries and may save money in the long run.
Built-in security and transport. The railways arrange safe accommodation and reliable rides to work—no small matter in a high-alert zone.
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By renewing these concessions, the centre signals that it understands the strains of working in Kashmir’s challenging environment. For employees, the decision means steadier finances, stronger morale, and the reassurance that the system has their backs while they keep India’s trains on track.
