The Railway Board has announced a major relief for non-gazetted railway employees who have spent decades working in remote locations.
Under the revised on-request transfer policy, employees who have completed 20 years or more of service will now get priority in transfer requests.
The decision is expected to benefit hundreds of employees who have been waiting for years to be transferred closer to their families or home divisions.
Priority Transfer List to Be Published Every Month
The new guidelines were issued by Railway Board Deputy Director Sanjay Kumar through a letter dated July 22, 2026, to all Zonal General Managers.
Under the new system, the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) portal will publish a separate monthly priority list of employees who have completed 20 years or more of service.
Employees with the longest service period will be given the highest priority for transfer.
This is aimed at ensuring a fair and transparent transfer process.
No NOC Required After Transfer Approval
The Railway Board has also simplified the transfer process.
Once a transfer request is approved, employees will no longer need a No Objection Certificate (NOC).
Instead, the transfer order will be generated automatically through the HRMS portal.
This change is expected to reduce paperwork and speed up the transfer process.
Employees Must Be Relieved Within 15 Days
Under the revised policy, the concerned office must relieve the employee within 15 days of the transfer order being issued.
In exceptional cases, an employee can be retained for a maximum of one month, but only with the approval of the concerned Divisional Railway Manager (DRM).
The new transfer system will become operational on the HRMS portal two months after the notification is issued.
Railway Unions Welcome the Decision
The All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) and the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) have welcomed the Railway Board’s decision.
AIRF Zonal Secretary Omkar Singh and NFIR Assistant General Secretary Vinod Kumar Rai described the move as a historic and employee-friendly decision.
For many railway employees who have spent 20 to 25 years working away from their families, the revised transfer policy is expected to bring long-awaited relief and make the transfer process more transparent and efficient.
