The Railroad Retirement Act is a Federal law that provides retirement and disability annuities for qualified railroad employees, spouse annuities for their wives or husbands, and survivor benefits for the families of deceased employees who were insured under the Act. These benefit programs are administered by the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board. It also administers the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, and has administrative responsibilities under the Social Security Act for certain benefit payments and railroad workers’ Medicare coverage.

This publication describes the retirement and disability annuities provided for employees under the Railroad Retirement Act, and the benefits available to their spouses and survivors. Medicare and unemployment-sickness insurance payments are described in separate publications.

The information in this publication supersedes earlier editions. If you have any questions about the information covered in this publication, or if you want one of the Railroad Retirement Board’s pamphlets on Medicare or unemployment and sickness insurance benefits, see Benefit Forms and Publications or contact the Board toll-free at 1-877-772-5772. Agency field office representatives will be glad to answer your questions and explain your benefit rights. 

See U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Offices for a list of cities with these offices.

In addition, through automated menus available 24 hours a day, you can find the address for the field office serving your area and listen to special announcements about the agency's benefit programs.  You can also request a replacement Medicare card, a letter showing your current monthly benefit rate, a replacement tax statement for the most recently completed tax year, or a statement of creditable railroad service and compensation.  Information on unemployment-sickness claims is also available.

The services listed above, and others, are also available through Benefit Online Services at the Board's Web site, www.rrb.gov.  Other online services allow users to get annuity estimates, review their service and compensation history, and apply for or claim unemployment benefits. In addition, many of the Board's publications are available for viewing and downloading, as is information about benefit requirements and other topics of interest.