Railway Leave Rules : Types of Leave in Railway

Railway Leave Rules: The number of leaves like LAP , LHAP , CL , SCL , CCL , WRIL , IOD , LND , Paternity Leave (PL – Paternity Leave) , Maternity Leave (ML – Maternity Leave) etc. given to railway employees and the methods of taking leave have been discussed in detail.
You are requested to check all the rules at your level.

Right of Leave

Leave cannot be claimed as a matter of right and any kind of leave can be refused or cancelled by the authority competent to grant it.
But that authority shall not have the power to change the nature of leave due and applied for, except on the written request of the Railway employee.
Provided that leave applied for under rule 522 shall not be refused or cancelled without reference to the medical authority whose advice shall be binding.

General Railway Leave Terms & Conditions

Leave cannot be claimed by the employee as a matter of right. The right to grant or refuse leave lies with the authority competent to sanction leave.
Leave normally commences on the day the charge is handed over and ends on the day the charge is resumed.
The leave sanctioning authority cannot change the type of leave due and applied for except on the written request of the employee.
Leave already taken may be converted into another type of leave retrospectively at the employee’s request, but not after retirement.
Leave for more than 5 years cannot be sanctioned.
Combination of holidays is permitted before or in continuation of a leave. In case of medical certificate of illness the holidays shall form part of the sick leave.
The employee is not permitted to undertake any employment during the period of leave.
The employee must seek permission to leave the headquarters specifically for private visits abroad. When permission to travel abroad is sought, information regarding the proposed and past private visits must be submitted in the prescribed proforma.

Change of one type of leave to another

On a request made by a Railway employee before his removal from service, the authority which granted leave to him may convert it retrospectively into a different kind of leave which was due and admissible to him at the time the leave was granted.
Converting one type of leave granted to an employee during his service into another type of leave after the termination of his service is irregular and in violation of statutory rules.
Provided that no such request shall be considered unless it is received within a period of 30 days from the date of joining duty on the expiry of the relevant period of leave availed by the Railway employee concerned.

Leave on Average Pay (LAP) Rules

Railway employees are eligible for 30 days of Leave on Average Pay (LAP) advance credit in their leave account every year.
LAP leaves are credited in two instalments.
- 15 days on 1 January every year
- And 15 days on 1st July.
In case of appointment or retirement during any part of a half year, credit shall be given at the rate of two and a half days per month till the end of that half year.
In case of unauthorised absence, suspension, die-non etc., 1/10th of such period will be debited from the leave account.
If a Railway employee has availed extraordinary leave or remains without pay, the leave to be credited to his leave account at the beginning of the next half year shall be reduced by 1/10th of the period of such leave.
LAP leaves can be accumulated up to a maximum of 300 days .
15 days advance credit of next half year will be kept (300 + 15)
A maximum of 180 days’ Leave on Average Pay (LAP) can be sanctioned at one go
On retirement, 300 days of Leave on Average Pay (LAP) can be encashed.
Leave on Average Pay (LAP) cannot be combined with Casual Leave (CL) .

Leave on Half Average Pay (LHAP)

Railway employees are eligible for Leave On Half Average Pay (LHAP ) of 20 days in a year .
It is credited to the leave account in two instalments @ 10 days each.
- 10 days of January 1
- and 10 days on 1st July
In case of appointment or retirement during any part of a half year, credit will be given at the rate of 5/3 days per month till the end of that half year.
In case of unauthorised absence, suspension, death etc., 1/18th of such period will be credited to the LHAP account.
There is no maximum limit on accumulation of leave at half average pay (LHAP) .
During Leave on Half Average Pay (LHAP), employees are paid half pay.
Can be given for 2 years at a time.
Leave on half average pay (LHAP) cannot be encashed on retirement . However, if 300 days of Leave on Average Pay (LAP) is not available for encashment, Leave on Half Average Pay (LHAP) can be encashed to the extent of the difference.
Employees can opt to convert sick period into Leave on Half Average Pay (LHAP), this may be accepted and double the amount of sick period will be debited from the Leave on Half Average Pay (LHAP) account.

Commuted Leave (CTL – COMMUTED LEAVE)

Commuted leave not exceeding half the amount of Leave on Average Pay (LAP) admissible may be granted to a Railway employee on medical certificate, subject to the following conditions:-

The authority competent to grant leave is satisfied that there is a reasonable prospect of the Railway employee returning to duty on its expiry;
When commuted leave (CTL – COMMUTED LEAVE) is granted, double the amount of such leave is debited against Leave on Average Pay (LAP) ;
There is no limit on the number of commuted leave days that can be availed during the entire service;
Leave on Average Pay (LAP) up to a maximum of 180 days shall be allowed to be converted during service where such leave is used for “approved course of study” which is certified to be in public interest by the leave sanctioning authority;
In continuation of Maternity Leave (ML) – 60 days without medical certificate
Where a Railway employee who has been granted commuted leave resigns from the service or is, on his request, permitted to retire voluntarily without returning to duty, the commuted leave shall be treated as Leave on Average Pay (LAP) and the difference between the leave salary in respect of commuted leave and Leave on Average Pay shall be recovered; Provided that no such recovery shall be made if the Railway employee has been granted compulsory retirement on account of ill health rendering him incapacitated for further service or in the event of his death.
Commuted leave can be sanctioned on the request of the employee even if Leave on Average Pay (LAP) is due.

Casual Leave (CL – Casual Leave)

Casual Leave (CL ) is granted to attend to sudden and urgent personal work .
Full salary is paid for the casual leave (CL) period.
Employees who are allowed to avail public holidays are eligible for 8 days of casual leave (CL) in a year.
Others are eligible for 10 days casual leave (CL ) in a year.
Half day CL can be sanctioned to the employees working in administrative offices.
Casual Leave (CL) cannot be combined with any other type of leave and joining time.
Employees appointed on any day of the year are eligible to avail full casual leave (CL) i.e. 8 or 10 days.
Physically disabled employees are eligible for additional 4 days of casual leave (CL) in a year.
Untaken Casual Leave (CL) will lapse and will not be carried forward to the next year.

Special Casual Leave (SCL – Special Casual Leave)

Special Casual Leave (SCL) is admissible to employees who are in the Scouts, Guides, Territorial Army and St. John Ambulance for attending camps and rallies.
It is approved for players to participate in tournaments and coaching camps.
It is approved for the office bearers of recognised trade unions to attend the PNM , FNM and Executive Committee meetings.
It is awarded for participating in DAR interrogations as defense assistants .
It is given to those employees who are in the managing committees of co-operative societies, stores, canteens and institutions etc. for attending the meetings.
Special Casual Leave (SCL) is also approved to cover absence due to shutdown, curfew, floods
Full pay is admissible for Special Casual Leave (SCL) .
Special Casual Leave (SCL) cannot be combined with any other type of leave.
The maximum period of leave in a calendar year is normally 30 days.
The General Manager has the power to grant Special Casual Leave (SCL) up to 60 days.
Board approval is required after 60 days.

Compensatory Casual Leave (CCL)

Compensatory Casual Leave (CCL) is granted to ministerial staff and Grade ‘D’ employees in offices except supervisors for attending office on Sundays, closed days, weekly holidays and holidays.
It can be prefixed or prefixed with Casual Leave (CL), Sundays and holidays .
3 Compensatory Casual Leaves (CCL) can be availed at a time .
This benefit must be availed within 30 days from the day the work was done .

Study Leave (SL – Study Leave)

On completion of 5 years of service in Railways, study leave (SL) is granted to the employees.
This leave is granted for higher studies useful for the Railways.
After returning from study leave the employees must work in railways for minimum 3 years.
Initially study leave (SL) is sanctioned for 12 months.
It can be extended up to 24 months .
Railway doctors can be granted study leave (SL) for up to 36 months.
This leave is not debited from any leave account.
During study leave full salary is paid less stipend or scholarship, if any.
On completion of the course, a pass certificate must be submitted. Otherwise, the entire salary should be refunded.
Study leave can be combined with any other type of leave.
Combined, the total leave should not exceed 28 months and for PHD should not exceed 36 months.

Leave Not Due (LND)

Leave Not Due (LND) is sanctioned when the employee does not have Leave on Average Pay (LAP) or LHAP balance.
This leave is approved on medical certificate.
A maximum of 360 days LND (Leave Not Due) can be sanctioned for the entire service.
Like LHAP, only half salary is given during LND (Leave Not Due).
This is like overdraft of LHAP. (Advance sanction of LHAP)
The sanctioning authority must be confident that the employee will return to work after LND (Leave Not Due) and earn the equivalent amount of LHAP by debiting LND (Leave Not Due) from the LHAP account.
This may be in continuation of LAP and LHAP.

Maternity Leave (ML – Maternity Leave)

Maternity Leave (ML) is approved for female employees.
Maternity Leave (ML) is approved for pregnancy/miscarriage/miscarriage .
180 days Maternity Leave (ML) is allowed for pregnancy .
45 days of Maternity Leave (ML) is admissible in the entire service for abortion and miscarriage .
To avail Maternity Leave (ML) in case of pregnancy, the employee must have less than 2 children.
There is no restriction on the number of children in case of abortion and miscarriage . Only a medical certificate is sufficient.
Maternity Leave (ML) can be combined with any other type of leave.
If combined with any other type of leave ( including LND (Leave Not Due) up to 60 days ) the total leave is limited to two years.
Maternity Leave (ML) is not debited from any other leave account.
Full salary is given during maternity leave (ML).

Paternity Leave (PL – Paternity Leave)

Paternity Leave (PL) is allowed to male employees.
Employees should have less than 2 living children.
The duration of this leave is 15 days.
Paternity Leave (PL) is sanctioned during the maternity period of the wife (i.e. 15 days before or within 6 months from the date of delivery ).
If Paternity Leave (PL) is not availed within the above period it will expire.
Paternity leave (PL) is also approved for adopting a child below one year of age.
Paternity Leave (PL) is not debited from any leave account.
Full salary is given during paternity leave (PL).
Paternity Leave (PL) can be combined with any other type of leave

Work related illness and injury leave (WRIL)/ Hospital Leave (HOD)/ IOD (Injury On Duty)

Introduced from 14.12.2018 in place of Hospital Leave and Special Disability Leave.
WRIL is awarded for injury or illness sustained due to official duty.
Full pay for the entire period of hospitalization.
Full pay for the first six months after hospitalization.
Half pay for the next twelve months.
In case of officers of RPF Department:
- Full salary for first 6 months.
- Half salary for the next 24 months.
In case of Constables and Inspectors of RPF Department:
- Full salary is paid for the entire period of WRIL .
- WRIL is not debited from LAP or LHAP accounts.
- Credit for LAP and LHAP will not be given for WRIL period.
This leave can be combined with any other leave, provided the total period after combination does not exceed 28 months

Child Care Leave (CCL)

Eligibility – Female employees as well as single male employees.
Maximum 730 days during entire service .
Child Care Leave (CCL) is approved for care of the 2 eldest living children .
Child Care Leave (CCL) is not admissible if the child is 18 years or above.
There is no age limit for children with disabilities.
Child Care Leave (CCL) is not debited from any leave account.
Full salary will be given for the first 365 days.
80% salary will be paid for the next 365 days .
Child Care Leave (CCL) can be combined with any other type of leave, up to a maximum of one year.
Leave falling during Child Care Leave (CCL) is counted as Child Care Leave (CCL).
Child Care Leave (CCL) is sanctioned only 3 times in a year.
Each time it should not be less than 5 days CCL .
Child Care Leave (CCL) cannot be claimed as a right.
No one can proceed on Child Care Leave (CCL) without approval.

Extraordinary Leave (EOL)

When no other leave is admissible i.e. Leave on Average Pay (LAP) or LHAP .
When other leave is admissible, but the employeeWhen other leave is admissible, but the employee applies in writing for the grant of such leave.
Extraordinary leave (EOL) is granted for a maximum period of 5 years.
Railway employee who has completed 3 years.
Railway employee who has completed 3 years of continuous service can apply for Extra Ordinary Leave (EOL) for up to 24 months for pursuing higher studies .
Temporary employees with 1 year of continuous service will be granted Extra Ordinary Leave (EOL)
- 3 months without medical certificate. –
- 6 Months with Medical Certificate.
- 18 months on medical certificate for employee suffering from TB, Cancer, Mental illness and Leprosy.
No leave salary is admissible to the employee during such leave.

Leave Encashment Rules (Leave Encashment)

A Railway employee shall be allowed Leave Encashment on average pay upto 10 days while in service in receipt of Railway Pass
The total amount of Leave Encashment availed during the entire career shall not exceed 60 days in aggregate ,
Provided that continuous Leave Encashment cannot be done before the expiry of a minimum period of two years.
There should be at least 30 days LAP balance available at his/her credit after such encashment.
The period of leave encashed will not be deducted from the amount of leave available for Leave Encashment at the time of retirement.
No house rent allowance and transport allowance will be payable during Leave Encashment.

Railway Joining Time Rules

Distance between the two places	Joining time
1000 kms or less	10 days
More than 1000 kilometers	12 days
More than 2000 kilometers	15 days

In case of air travel of more than 2000 kms, maximum duration will be 12 days