By Admin Central Pay Commission | January 8, 2026
Railway Board Overhauls Leave Rules for 2026: Mandatory Digital Sanctioning and Aadhaar Linkage
NEW DELHI: The Railway Board has officially transitioned to a fully digitized leave management ecosystem for the 2026 calendar year. In a move to eliminate manual discrepancies and sync with the 8th Pay Commission’s administrative reforms, all railway zones have been directed to process Leave on Average Pay (LAP) and Leave on Half Average Pay (LHAP) exclusively through the Aadhaar-authenticated HRMS portal.
According to Admin Central Pay Commission, the new policy effectively ends the era of manual leave registers in divisional offices. This shift ensures that every day of leave taken is instantly reflected in the employee’s digital service record, which is now a prerequisite for the latest 60% DA and 8th CPC arrear calculations.
Key Changes in the 2026 Leave Calendar
The updated circular introduces a “Technology-First” approach to staff welfare. Below is a dynamic breakdown of the changes affecting all Railway staff from January 1, 2026:
One of the major highlights is the automation of Child Care Leave (CCL). Female employees and single male parents can now track their lifetime limit of 730 days in real-time. This reform prevents the “over-sanctioning” errors that frequently occurred in previous Railway Board cycles. The system now cross-references the age of children directly from the Aadhaar-linked family profile.
Impact on 8th Pay Commission Benefits
The Railway Board has clarified that “Qualifying Service” for the 8th Pay Commission transition will be pulled directly from the HRMS leave module. If an employee has unauthorized absences or unverified leave periods, their fitment factor calculation and arrear payout may be delayed. For a clear estimate of your take-home pay during leave periods, utilize our updated 8th Pay Commission Salary Calculator.
Employees are urged to log in to the HRMS-Railways portal and verify their “Leave Balance” before January 31, 2026. Any discrepancies must be reported to the APO (Assistant Personnel Officer) through the digital grievance tab. We are continuing to monitor the Ministry of Railways portal for further zonal instructions.