U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

844 North Rush Street

Chicago, IL 60611-1275

Toll Free: (877) 772-5772

TTY: (312) 751-4701

Directory: (312) 751-4300

www.rrb.gov
U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

Mission Statement

The Railroad Retirement Board’s mission is to administer retirement/survivor 

and unemployment/sickness insurance benefit programs for railroad workers and 

their families under the Railroad Retirement Act and the Railroad Unemployment 

Insurance Act. These programs provide income protection during old age and 

in the event of disability, death or temporary unemployment and sickness. The 

Railroad Retirement Board also administers aspects of the Medicare program and 

has administrative responsibilities under the Social Security Act and the Internal 

Revenue Code.

In carrying out its mission, the Railroad Retirement Board will pay benefits to 

the right people, in the right amounts, in a timely manner, and will take appropriate 

action to safeguard our customers’ trust funds. The Railroad Retirement Board will 

treat every person who comes into contact with the agency with courtesy and concern, 

and respond to all inquiries promptly, accurately and clearly.

If you have comments or suggestions regarding the information

in this report, please let us know. You can call us at 312-751-4777,

email us at opa@rrb.gov or write us at the following address:

Public Affairs

U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

844 North Rush Street

Chicago, IL 60611-1275
UNITED STATES

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD

2020 Annual Report

For Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2019

The Report in Brief 1

A Review of Operations 6

Administrative Developments 34

Legal Rulings 43

Statistical Tables 45

RRB.gov
1

The Report in Brief

Benefits and Beneficiaries

Benefits paid by the RRB totaled $13.3 billion in the fiscal year ending

September 30, 2019. Retirement and survivor benefits were paid by the RRB to 

about 535,000 beneficiaries during the fiscal year, of whom 507,000 were on the RRB’s 

annuity rolls at the end of the year. Approximately 23,000 railroad employees were paid 

unemployment and/or sickness insurance benefits. About 2,000 beneficiaries received 

payments under both the Railroad Retirement Act and the Railroad Unemployment 

Insurance Act.

Retirement and survivor benefit payments of $13.0 billion during fiscal year 2019 

were $572.7 million more than payments in the prior year. Employee and spouse 

annuitants were paid some $10.8 billion, accounting for 84 percent of the total 

payments. Employees received over $8.0 billion in age annuities (including $1.5 billion 

to annuitants full retirement age and over originally awarded a disability annuity), 

$0.9 billion in disability annuities, and $59.4 million in supplemental annuities, 

while spouses and divorced spouses received about $1.9 billion.1

 Survivors were paid 

$2.1 billion in annuities and approximately $2.1 million in lump-sum benefits. The 

total number of beneficiaries who received retirement and survivor benefits declined by 

about 5,000 from fiscal year 2018.

The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) paid benefits totaling $13.3 billion,

net of recoveries and offsetting collections, to about 557,000 beneficiaries in

fiscal year 2019. Financial reports issued in 2020 on the solvency of the railroad 

retirement and railroad unemployment insurance systems were both favorable. Total 

railroad retirement system assets equaled $27.3 billion as of September 30, 2019. 

Note: Statistics are presented on the cash basis of accounting instead of the accrual 

basis of accounting for much of the Report. However, with the exception of the Federal 

Income Tax Transfers section on page 9 and the accompanying table on page 10, which 

are presented as cash, the information on pages 2, 6-14 and 26-28 is presented on the 

accrual basis of accounting. The primary difference between the two bases of accounting 

is that the cash basis recognizes revenue and expenditures only when cash is received 

and paid. The accrual basis, on the other hand, recognizes revenue when it is earned and 

expenses when they are incurred.

1 In the Annual Reports for the years through 2014, annuitants who were full retirement age and over and 

who were originally awarded a disability annuity were included in the disability counts. Effective with the 

2015 and later reports, annuitants full retirement age and over originally awarded a disability annuity 

are included in the employee age and service counts because a disability annuity converts to an age and 

service annuity when the annuitant attains full retirement age.
2 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

Gross unemployment and sickness benefits paid in fiscal year 2019 totaled about

$116.1 million. Net benefits totaled approximately $93.4 million after adjustment for 

recoveries of benefit payments, including injury settlements, some of which were made in 

prior years. Total gross benefit payments decreased by about $1.3 million while net benefit 

payments increased by approximately $0.6 million from the preceding year. In accordance 

with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the 

Budget Control Act of 2011, amounts reflect a sequestration reduction of 6.9 percent for 

days after September 30, 2016, 6.6 percent for days after September 30, 2017, and 6.2 

percent for days after September 30, 2018.

Gross unemployment benefits increased by four percent compared to the previous year 

due to the increase in the daily benefit rate, notably a $5 (7 percent) increase that was 

in effect for one quarter of fiscal year 2018 and three quarters of fiscal year 2019. Gross 

unemployment benefits totaling $42.3 million ($40.3 million net) were paid to more than 

9,300 claimants, while gross sickness benefits totaling $73.8 million ($53.1 million net) 

were paid to almost 14,700 claimants.

Financial Reports

The RRB’s 2020 railroad retirement financial report to Congress, which covered 

the period 2020-2044, was generally favorable. It concluded that barring a sudden, 

unanticipated, large decrease in railroad employment, or substantial investment losses, 

the railroad retirement system will experience no cash flow problems during the next 25 

years. The long-term stability of the system, however, is still uncertain. Under the current 

financing structure, actual levels of railroad employment and investment return over the 

coming years will largely determine whether corrective action is necessary.

The RRB’s 2020 railroad unemployment insurance financial report reflected the fact 

that unemployment applications and claims are substantially higher than usual due to 

the global pandemic, with maximum benefit rates projected to increase 44 percent (from 

$78 to $112) from 2019 to 2030. As a result, experienced-based contribution rates will 

be higher in the near future, with a surcharge of 2.5 percent in 2021 and 3.5 percent in 

2022. A surcharge of 1.5 percent in 2023 is likely under the optimistic and intermediate 

employment assumptions, with the pessimistic assumption showing a 2.5 percent 

surcharge that year. In addition, it is expected that short-term loans will be necessary to 

maintain solvency. These loans would be paid off by the end of fiscal year 2022 under the 

optimistic and intermediate assumptions, and 2023 under the pessimistic assumption.

The National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust’s annual management report 

for fiscal year 2019 showed that, as of September 30, 2019, the net asset value of the 

Trust-managed assets was $25.4 billion. This represented a decrease from $26.6 billion in 

the previous year, with a net investment return for the year of 2.82 percent. The ending 

balance also reflects a transfer of $1.8 billion to the U.S. Treasury for the payment of 

railroad retirement (tier II) benefits. Total railroad retirement system assets, including 

those maintained at the Treasury, equaled $27.3 billion.
 The Report in Brief 3

The 2020 railroad retirement and railroad unemployment insurance financial reports 

and the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust’s 2019 annual management report 

are available by clicking on the Financial & Reporting tab at RRB.gov.

Service Delivery

Customer Service Plan

In fiscal year 2019, customers received benefit services within the timeframes promised 

in the RRB’s Customer Service Plan 98.6 percent of the time.

Service Enhancements

The RRB debuted a new online portal, myRRB, to provide access to benefit services 

with enhanced security, processed a cost-of-living adjustment for retirement and survivor 

benefits, continued to improve its electronic reporting system for railroad employers and 

its use of document imaging in claims adjudication, took steps to further reduce improper 

payments, and successfully trained two new classes of claims examiners.

Office of Inspector General

During fiscal year 2019, the Office of Inspector General continued its independent 

oversight of agency operations and its efforts to combat fraud, waste, and abuse. This 

included the issuance of 15 audit reports plus 2 management information reports.

Investigative activities resulted in 8 arrests, 25 indictments and/or informations, 39 

convictions, 15 civil judgments, and more than $106 million in financial accomplishments. 

This reflects fraud amounts related to programs administered exclusively by the RRB, as 

well as fraud amounts from other Federal programs such as Medicare or social security 

which were identified during Office of Inspector General joint investigative work.
4 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

Selected Data on Benefit Operations

 Fiscal Year Fiscal Year

Retirement-Survivor

1 2019 2018

Employee age annuities

Number awarded 7,700 8,700

Awarded Age Annuity

 Number being paid at end of period 188,400 189,600

 Average being paid at end of period $2,912 $2,817

Disability converted to age annuity 2

 Number being paid at end of period 48,500 47,400

 Average being paid at end of period $2,564 $2,474

Employee disability annuities

Number of total disability annuities awarded 800 700

Number of occupational disability

 annuities awarded 1,000 900

Number of total disability annuities being paid 

 at end of period 8,600 9,100

Number of occupational disability annuities

 being paid at end of period 13,900 16,000

Average total disability annuity

 being paid at end of period $2,106 $2,008

Average occupational disability annuity

 being paid at end of period $3,266 $3,164

Supplemental employee annuities3

Number awarded 3,300 4,200

Number being paid at end of period 117,800 120,200

Average being paid at end of period $42 $42

Spouse and divorced spouse annuities

Number awarded, total 9,800 10,500

Number being paid to divorced

 spouses at end of period 5,300 5,200

Number being paid at end of period, total 148,200 147,700

Average being paid to divorced spouses

 at end of period $685 $656

Average being paid at end 

 of period, total $1,065 $1,035

Survivor annuities

Number awarded to aged widow(er)s 5,000 5,400

Number awarded, total 6,500 6,900

Number being paid to aged widow(er)s

 at end of period 82,000 84,700

Number being paid at end of period, total 106,300 109,600

Average being paid at end of period to

Aged widow(er)s $1,780 $1,721

Disabled widow(er)s4 $1,401 $1,367

Widowed mothers (fathers) $1,942 $1,902

Remarried widow(er)s $1,152 $1,114

Divorced widow(er)s $1,168 $1,118

Children $1,157 $1,110

Partition payments5

Number being paid at end of period 2,100 1,900

Average being paid at end of period $321 $317

Lump-sum survivor benefits awarded

Number of lump-sum death benefits 2,100 2,500

Average lump-sum death benefit $948 $936

Number of residual payments 6/ 6/

Average residual payment $1,969 $2,077
The Report in Brief 5

Selected Data on Benefit Operations (Continued)

Fiscal Year Fiscal Year

 Employees and Earnings7 2019 2018

Average employment 219,000 224,000

Creditable earnings, Railroad Retirement

 Act (billions):

 Tier I $19.34 $19.35

 Tier II $17.75 $18.03

Creditable earnings, Railroad

 Unemployment Insurance Act (billions) $4.16 $4.15

Benefit Year Benefit Year

 Unemployment-Sickness8 2018-2019 2017-2018

Qualified employees 235,400 242,100

Unemployment benefits

Gross amount paid (millions) $38.09 ($42.3)9$42.69

Beneficiaries 7,900 (9,300)9 9,300

Number of payments 52,300 63,000

Normal benefit accounts exhausted 1,700 2,100

Average payment per 2-week registration period $644 $601

Sickness benefits

Gross amount paid (millions) $73.5 ($73.8)9$77.3

Beneficiaries 14,400 (14,700)9 15,700

Number of payments 102,100 115,000

Normal benefit accounts exhausted 3,000 3,500

Average payment per 2-week registration period $638 $597

1 Benefits are through September 30 for the associated years.

2 A disability annuity ends when the retiree attains full retirement age, at which time the annuity converts to an age 

and service annuity. Consequently, these annuitants are receiving age and service annuities. Full retirement age is 

age 65 for those born before 1938 and gradually increases to age 67 for those born in 1960 and later.

3 Excludes partition payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased. Averages are 

after court-ordered partitions. There are no annuitants receiving 1937 Act supplemental annuities.

4 Average in current-payment status includes annuities to disabled widow(er)s age 60 and over now payable as aged 

widow(er)s’ annuities.

5 Limited to partition payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased or not otherwise 

entitled to an annuity. Partition payments from employees on the rolls are included with the employees’ annuities.

6 Fewer than 50.

7 Except for fiscal year 2018 employment, all figures in this section are preliminary.

8 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Budget 

Control Act of 2011, amounts reflect a reduction of 7.3% under sequestration for days of unemployment and 

sickness after September 30, 2014, 6.8% for days after September 30, 2015, 6.9% for days after September 30, 

2016, 6.6% for days after September 30, 2017, and 6.2 percent for days after September 30, 2018.

9 Data in parentheses are for fiscal year (October 1, 2018 – September 30, 2019).

NOTE.--In Annual Reports through 2019, information in this table with respect to unemployment and sickness benefits 

paid was reported on a net basis. Beginning with this year’s report, these amounts are now shown on a gross basis.
A Review of Operations

6

RAILROAD RETIREMENT AND 

SURVIVOR PROGRAM

As of September 30, 2019, total railroad retirement system assets, including those

maintained in U.S. Treasury accounts and those maintained by the National 

Railroad Retirement Investment Trust (the “Trust” or NRRIT), equaled $27.3 billion, 

a decrease of $1.0 billion during the fiscal year. Amounts in the Railroad Retirement 

(RR) Account not needed to pay current administrative expenses and amounts in the 

Social Security Equivalent Benefit (SSEB) Account not needed to pay current benefits 

and administrative expenses are transferred to the NRRIT, whose Board of 7 trustees is 

empowered to invest Trust assets in non-governmental assets, such as equities and debt, as 

well as in governmental securities. 

FINANCIAL OPERATIONS - U.S. TREASURY ACCOUNTS

During fiscal year 2019, railroad retirement and survivor benefit payments were 

financed through four U.S. Treasury accounts.

The SSEB Account, established in fiscal year 1985, pays the portion of railroad 

retirement benefits equivalent to a social security benefit from various income sources 

related to these benefits. The RR Account funds retirement, survivor and disability 

benefits, in excess of social security equivalent benefits, from payroll taxes on employers 

and employees and other income sources. Supplemental benefit payments are also paid 

from the RR Account. The Dual Benefits Payments (DBP) Account and Federal Payments 

(FP) Account, funded by congressional appropriations from general revenues, finance 

the phase-out costs of certain vested dual benefits and interest on unnegotiated checks, 

respectively. The four accounts together incurred $13.1 billion in benefit obligations 

(including $113 million interest on FI advances and excluding $1.9 billion in social security 

benefits which were reimbursed by the Social Security Administration) during fiscal year 

2019.

At the end of fiscal year 2019, total railroad retirement system assets equaled $27.3 billion.

During fiscal year 2019, benefit payments totaled approximately $13.3 billion, net of 

recoveries and offsetting collections. Of this amount, benefit payments totaled

$13.0 billion for the railroad retirement and survivor benefits program and 

$93.2 million for the railroad unemployment and sickness insurance benefits program.
 A Review of Operations 7

Financing Sources

Payroll Taxes

The primary source of income to the railroad retirement and survivor program is 

payroll taxes levied on covered employers and their employees. Payroll taxes amounted

to $6.1 billion, representing 45.5 percent of total financing sources (excluding a loss of 

$1.2 billion, mostly due to a change in NRRIT net assets) and $230.6 million less than in 

fiscal year 2018.

Railroad employees and employers pay tier I taxes which, by law, are the same as social 

security taxes. The 2019 rate of 7.65 percent was split between 6.20 percent for retirement 

and 1.45 percent for Medicare hospital insurance. The maximum amount of earnings 

subject to the 6.20 percent rate in calendar year 2019 was $132,900, with all earnings 

subject to the 1.45 percent Medicare tax.

Since 2013, employees pay an additional 0.9 percent Medicare tax on earnings above 

$200,000 (for those who file an individual return) or $250,000 (for those who file a joint 

return). This additional tax rate is not reflected in the tax rates shown above.

Both employees and employers also pay a tier II tax to finance railroad retirement 

benefit payments over and above social security levels. This tax, on earnings up to $98,700 

and $95,400 in 2019 and 2018, respectively, was 4.9 percent on employees in both years. It 

was 13.1 percent on employers in both 2019 and 2018.

Tier I and tier II taxes for fiscal year 2019 amounted to $2.9 billion and $3.2 billion, 

respectively.

Financial Interchange Transfers

The second major source of income to the railroad retirement and survivor program 

consists of transfers from the social security trust funds under a financial interchange 

between the two systems. The financial interchange is intended to place the Social 

Security Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance and Hospital Insurance Trust Funds 

in the same position in which they would have been had railroad employment been covered 

by the Social Security and Federal Insurance Contributions Acts. This involves computing 

the amount of social security taxes that would have been collected on railroad employment, 

and computing the amount of additional benefits which social security would have paid to 

railroad retirement beneficiaries during the same fiscal year. 

In the computation of the latter amount, credit is given for any social security benefits 

actually paid to railroad retirement beneficiaries. When benefit reimbursements exceed 

payroll taxes, the difference, with an allowance for interest and administrative expenses, 

is transferred from the Social Security Trust Funds to the SSEB Account. If taxes exceed 

benefit reimbursements (this has not happened since 1951), a transfer would be made in 

favor of the Social Security Trust Funds. The net financial interchange transfer to the 

SSEB Account during fiscal year 2019 amounted to $4.7 billion.

(text continued on page 9)
8 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

Costs - Fiscal Year 2019 (In Millions)

TOTAL: $13,286.8

RETIREMENT AND SURVIVOR PROGRAM

Note.--Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Financing Sources - Fiscal Year 2019 (In Millions)

GROSS TOTAL: $13,394.21

1

Excludes −$1,163.8 million as shown under Other Financing Sources on page 11.

National Railroad 

Retirement 

Investment Trust

Transfers-In 13.4%

$1,794.0

Interest on 

Investments 0.3%

$45.9

Federal Income 

Taxes 5.5%

$731.0

Payroll Taxes 45.5%

$6,089.3

Financial Interchange 35.2%

$4,709.7

General 

Appropriations 0.2%

$24.3

Benefit Payments 97.9%

$13,008.8

Salaries and 

Expenses 1.2%

$164.2

Interest 

Expense 0.9%

$113.8
 A Review of Operations 9

Interest on Investments and Other Revenue

Interest revenue increased from $38.5 million in fiscal year 2018 to $45.9 million in 

fiscal year 2019. Interest revenue was also earned from financial interchange advances.

Federal Income Tax Transfers 

Legislation enacted in 1983 subjecting social security and railroad retirement benefits 

to Federal income taxes also provided for a transfer of the tax revenues to the social 

security and railroad retirement systems for the payment of benefits. Most of the revenue 

from income taxes on social security equivalent railroad retirement benefits is transferred 

to the SSEB Account, although a portion attributable to higher-income taxpayers is 

transferred to the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund. Revenue derived from taxing 

regular railroad retirement benefits in excess of social security equivalent benefits is 

transferred to the RR Account. Revenue from taxing the vested dual benefits funded by the 

general revenue appropriations previously described is transferred to the DBP Account.

At the beginning of each quarter, income tax transfers are made from Treasury 

general funds to the SSEB, RR and DBP Accounts. These transfers are estimates of 

expected tax revenues for the quarter. Adjustments are made later to reconcile the 

estimates for a taxable year with actual tax revenues for the year. On a cash basis, 

original tax transfers for fiscal year 2019 amounted to $656 million during the year. 

Original transfers for fiscal year 2018 totaled $674 million. Net income tax transfers after 

adjustments were $734 million for fiscal year 2019, including a $78 million adjustment for 

calendar year 2014. Net transfers in fiscal year 2018 totaled $771 million, including 

$97 million in reconciliation adjustments.

The information in the preceding paragraph is on a fiscal year basis, while the table 

on page 10 shows income tax transfers to the accounts for taxable (calendar) years 2010 

through 2019, including reconciliation adjustments through 2014.

General Appropriations

General revenue appropriations were provided by the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 

to fund the phase-out costs of certain dual railroad retirement/social security benefits 

considered vested prior to 1975, and by the Railroad Retirement Solvency Act of 1983 to 

fund interest on unnegotiated checks. The total amounts appropriated by the Congress for 

vested dual benefits for fiscal years 2019 and 2018 were $19.0 million and $22.0 million, 

respectively. These amounts include Federal income tax transfers for 2019 and 2018. 

The amount appropriated for fiscal year 2019 was 13.6 percent less than fiscal year 2018, 

reflecting the continuing decrease in eligibility for these benefits, which are not increased 

for the cost of living. The total amount appropriated by the Congress for interest on 

unnegotiated checks was $150,000 for fiscal years 2018-2019, and also $150,000 for fiscal 

years 2017-2018. (text continued on page 13)
10 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

1 Includes non-SSEB portion of tier I.

2 Receives taxes on social security equivalent benefit (SSEB) portion of tier I.

3 Receives taxes on vested dual benefit component beginning October 1, 1988.

4 The year in parentheses is the year the adjustments were made.

Federal Income Tax Transfers by Recipient Account and 

Benefit Component, Taxable Years 2010-2019 (Millions)

 Revenue from taxes on

 RRA benefits

 treated as RRA benefits treated as

 SSA benefits private or public pensions

 Taxable year SSEB Tier II and

 tier I non-SSEB Vested 

 benefits tier I benefits1 dual benefits

 SSEB Account2 RR Account DBP Account3

Original transfers during the year

2010 $159 $315 $3

2011 160 300 3

2012 194 318 4

2013 199 333 3

2014 250 348 2

2015 263 386 2

2016 281 412 2

2017 292 422 2

2018 255 393 1

2019 267 401 2

Reconciliation adjustments4

2010 (2013) 23 16 1

2011 (2015) 32 49 ▪ ▪

2012 (2016) 17 60 −1

2013 (2018) 31 66 ▪ ▪

2014 (2019) 1 76 1
 A Review of Operations 11

Railroad Retirement and Survivor Program 

Consolidated Financing Sources, 

Costs and Net Position (Millions)1

For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30 2019 2018

 

Financing Sources:

Payroll Taxes $6,089.3 $6,319.9

Financial Interchange 4,709.7 4,285.3

Interest on Investments and Other Revenue 45.9 38.5

Federal Income Taxes 731.0 770.0

General Appropriations 24.3 26.9

Other (1,163.8) (73.3)

Transfers to the National 

 Railroad Retirement Investment Trust 0.0 0.0

Transfers from the National 

 Railroad Retirement Investment Trust 1,794.0 1,809.0

 Total Financing Sources 12,230.4 13,176.3

Costs:

Benefit Payments 13,008.8 12,436.1

Interest Expense 113.8 106.7

Salaries and Expenses2 164.2 163.1

Other 22.8 254.9

 Total Costs 13,309.6 12,960.8

Financing Sources over Costs (1,079.2) 215.5

Net Position - Beginning of Period 27,333.2 27,117.7

Net Position - End of Period $26,253.9 $27,333.2

1

 Source of data is the RRB’s Performance and Accountability Report.

2

 Includes unemployment and sickness insurance salaries and expenses of approximately $21.0 million 

and $21.5 million for fiscal years 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Note.--Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
12 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

Market value of assets managed 

by NRRIT on September 30, 2019 $25.4 billion

Rate of return of investment portfolio 

managed by NRRIT for full year 

ended September 30, 2019 2.82%

Source: NRRIT 

All NRRIT annual management reports and quarterly updates are available at RRB.gov.

National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust (NRRIT) 

Fiscal Year 2019 Summary
 A Review of Operations 13

Other Financing Sources

Other financing sources consisted of $8.4 million to be provided by the Office of 

Personnel Management to pay future retirement benefits to RRB employees. These 

financing sources were offset by a decrease in NRRIT net assets of $1.2 billion, a gain 

on contingent liability of $10.1 million, and a $1.9 million decrease in unexpended 

appropriations.

Costs 

The RRB pays all salaries and expenses under a single administrative fund (Limitation 

on Administration) for both the railroad retirement and survivor program and the 

unemployment and sickness insurance program. Consequently, of the $164.2 million and 

$163.1 million shown on page 11 for salaries and expenses in fiscal years 2019 and 2018, 

respectively, about $21.0 million for fiscal year 2019 and $21.5 million for fiscal year 2018 

were for the unemployment and sickness insurance program. About $1.0 million in other 

costs for fiscal year 2019 and $0.9 million for fiscal year 2018 were for the unemployment 

and sickness insurance program. 

Excluding $22.0 million from total costs of $13.3 billion for fiscal year 2019 and 

$22.4 million from total costs of $13.0 billion for fiscal year 2018, total costs for the railroad 

retirement and survivor program for fiscal year 2019 increased $349.2 million, or 

2.7 percent.

Benefit Payments

In fiscal year 2019, railroad retirement benefit payments increased $572.7 million, or 

almost 4.6 percent, to about $13.0 billion on an accrual basis, including $17.2 million in 

vested dual benefits.

Interest Expense

Interest expense of $113.8 million represents interest on the financial interchange 

advances made by the U.S. Treasury during the fiscal year.

Salaries and Expenses

Excluding unemployment and sickness insurance salaries and expenses of 

$21.0 million for fiscal year 2019 and $21.5 million for fiscal year 2018, salaries and 

expenses for the railroad retirement and survivor program were about $143.2 million for 

fiscal year 2019 and about $141.6 million for fiscal year 2018, a $1.6 million or 1.1 percent

increase. Adjusted by the $21.0 million in salaries and expenses and $1.1 million in 

other costs for the unemployment and sickness insurance program, fiscal year 2019 

administrative expenses for the railroad retirement and survivor program were about

1.07 percent of total costs.
14 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

Other Costs

Other costs consisted primarily of post-retirement benefits (pensions, health and life 

insurance) for RRB employees of $7.3 million for the railroad retirement and survivor 

program and $1.1 million for the unemployment and sickness insurance program. In 

addition, carrier refunds of $35.8 million were incurred. These costs were offset by 

approximately $12.1 million in reimbursements from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services for Part B Medicare costs and various other revenues of approximately $1,500.

NATIONAL RAILROAD RETIREMENT 

INVESTMENT TRUST OPERATIONS 

Funds not needed immediately for benefit payments or administrative expenses are 

invested through the NRRIT. The Trust was established pursuant to section 105 of the 

Railroad Retirement and Survivors’ Improvement Act of 2001 for the sole purpose of 

investing railroad retirement assets. The Act authorizes the Trust to invest the assets 

of the RR Account in a diversified investment portfolio in the same manner as those of 

private sector retirement plans. Prior to the Act, investment of RR Account assets was 

limited to U.S. Government securities. Although the Trust was created by Congress 

to hold and invest Federal assets, it is not an agency or instrumentality of the Federal 

government. It is a tax-exempt entity governed by a seven-member Board, three selected 

by rail management, three selected by rail labor and one independent trustee selected by 

the six rail trustees.

During fiscal year 2019, the net asset value of Trust-managed assets decreased from 

$26.6 billion on October 1, 2018, to $25.4 billion on September 30, 2019. This includes 

$1.8 billion that the Trust transferred to the U.S. Treasury for the payment of railroad 

retirement benefits during the year. The rate of return on Trust-managed assets for the 

year (net of fees) was 2.82 percent.

Total railroad retirement system assets (Trust-managed assets and reserves held in 

Treasury accounts) grew from $20.7 billion in 2002 to $27.3 billion as of the end of fiscal 

year 2019, after net transfers for benefit payments of approximately $25.1 billion over the 

same timeframe.

Trust operations are described in detail in the NRRIT Annual Management Report for 

fiscal year 2019 and previous years, as well as reports issued on a quarterly basis, which 

are available by clicking on the Financial & Reporting tab at RRB.gov.

BENEFIT OPERATIONS

Retirement and survivor benefits paid, including vested dual benefits and supplemental employee annuities, totaled $13.0 billion in fiscal year 2019, $277 million more than in 

fiscal year 2018. Benefits were paid to about 535,000 beneficiaries in fiscal year 2019, and 

approximately 506,600 beneficiaries were being paid at the end of the year.
 A Review of Operations 15

The table shown here presents retirement and survivor benefit payments for fiscal years 

2019 and 2018, by type of benefit, and the percent changes in payments between the 2 years.

Under the two-tier railroad retirement formulas, the tier I annuity portion approximates 

a social security benefit and increases by the cost-of-living percentage applied to social 

security benefits. The tier II portion, which is comparable to retirement benefits paid over 

and above social security benefits to workers in other industries, increases by 32.5 percent of 

the social security percentage.

Effective December 2017, tier I benefits increased by 2.0 percent due to a cost-of-living 

adjustment, while tier II benefits increased by 0.7 percent. Increases of 2.8 percent for tier I 

and 0.9 percent for tier II were effective December 2018.

These cost-of-living increases provided additional benefit payments of about $220 million 

in fiscal year 2019 compared to fiscal year 

2018.

Monthly retirement and survivor 

benefits being paid numbered about 

633,700 at the end of the 2019 fiscal year, 

about 7,700 less than at the end of the 

prior year. Monthly beneficiaries on the 

rolls declined by approximately 5,400 

over the year, from 511,900 to 506,600. 

The number of monthly benefits paid 

is always greater than the number of 

beneficiaries on the rolls, since many 

annuitants receive more than one type 

of benefit. Although the second benefit 

is usually a supplemental employee 

annuity, some employees also receive a 

spouse or widow(er)’s annuity.

Regular employee annuities in 

payment status at the end of fiscal year 

2019 numbered 259,400, about 2,700 

less than at the end of the previous 

fiscal year. The number of age annuities 

being paid, including 48,500 disability 

annuities converted to age, decreased 

slightly from 237,000 to 236,800 over the 

year, while disability annuities decreased 

from 25,100 to 22,600. Supplemental 

annuities being paid to employees declined by approximately 2,400, numbering 117,800 at 

the end of the year. The number of divorced spouse annuities being paid rose nearly 100, 

to 5,300. Spouse and divorced spouse annuities together increased by almost 500, totaling 

148,200 at year-end. Nearly 106,300 monthly survivor benefits were being paid at the end of 

Amount 

(in millions)

 Fiscal year Fiscal year Percent

 Type of benefit 20191 20182 change

Retirement benefits

Employee annuities

Age3 $8,000.7 $7,739.4 +3.4

Disability 884.4 933.7 −5.3

Supplemental4 59.4 60.5 −1.8

Spouse and divorced

spouse annuities 1,892.3 1,833.5 +3.2

 Total 10,836.8 10,567.2 +2.6

Survivor benefits

Annuities 2,122.9 2,116.5 +0.3

Lump-sum benefits 2.1 2.3 −11.7

 Total 2,125.0 2,118.8 +0.3

Partition payments5 7.7 7.0 +11.0

 Grand total $12,969.5 $12,693.0 +2.2

1Data is from the Monthly Treasury Statement and the Bureau of Fiscal Operations.

2Data is from the Bureau of Fiscal Operations.

3A disability annuity ends when the retiree attains full retirement age, at which time the annuity 

converts to an age and service annuity. FY 2019 and FY 2018 include $1,451.6 million and 

$1,368.6 million, respectively, in payments to annuitants full retirement age and over originally 

awarded a disability annuity.

4Excludes partition payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is 

deceased.

5Limited to partition payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is 

deceased or not otherwise entitled to an annuity. Partition payments from employees on the 

rolls are included with the employees’ annuities.

Note.--Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
16 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

fiscal year 2019, a decrease of 3,300 from the previous year. Approximately 2,100 partition 

payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased or not otherwise 

entitled to an annuity were being paid at the end of fiscal year 2019, an increase of nearly 

200 from the prior year.

Retirement

Regular employee annuities

Awards of regular employee annuities numbered 9,400 in fiscal year 2019, nearly 900 

less than in fiscal year 2018. Data by type of annuity awarded during the year are given in 

the table shown here.

Railroad employees with 10 to 29 years of creditable service, or 5 to 9 years of service if 

at least 5 years were after 1995, are eligible for regular annuities based on age and service 

at age 62. Early retirement annuity reductions are applied to annuities awarded before full 

retirement age (the age 

at which an employee 

can receive full benefits 

with no reduction for 

early retirement). This 

ranges from age 65 for 

those born before 1938 

to age 67 for those born 

in 1960 or later, the 

same as under social 

security. If an employee 

had any creditable 

railroad service before 

August 12, 1983, the 

retirement age for tier 

II purposes will remain 

65. The reduction for 

early retirement is 1/180 

for each of the first 36 months the employee is under full retirement age when his or her 

annuity begins and 1/240 for each additional month.

Rail employees with 30 or more years of service are eligible for regular annuities based 

on age and service at age 60. Certain early retirement reductions were applied if the 

employee first became eligible for a 60/30 annuity July 1, 1984, or later and retired at ages 

60 or 61 before 2002. Employees who retire at 60 or older with at least 30 years of railroad 

service are referred to as 60/30 retirees.

Disability awards are based either on total disability or on occupational disability. A 

total disability annuity is based on disability for all employment and is payable at any age 

to employees with at least 10 years of railroad service. Employees with 5-9 years of service, 

 

 Average

Employee annuities Age at

 awarded in Monthly Years of retirefiscal year 2019 Number Percent amount service ment

Age

Beginning at full

retirement age or over 1,900 20 $2,574 20.2 67.7

Unreduced, beginning 

at age 60 to under full

retirement age 3,500 37 4,231 36.6 61.1

Reduced, beginning at

age 62 to under full

retirement age 2,300 24 2,068 16.1 63.4

Disability 1,800 19 2,880 19.3 54.8

 Total 9,400 100 $3,118 25.1 61.8

Note.--Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
 A Review of Operations 17

if at least 5 years were after 1995, may 

qualify for tier I only before retirement 

age on the basis of total disability if they 

also meet certain social security earnings 

requirements. An employee is considered 

totally disabled if medical evidence 

shows that a permanent physical or 

mental condition exists which prevents 

the performance of any regular work. A 

condition is considered to be permanent 

if it has lasted or may be expected to last 

for at least 12 months.

An occupational disability annuity 

is based on disability for the employee’s 

regular railroad occupation and is 

payable to employees with a current 

connection with the rail industry at age 

60 if the employee has 10 years of service, 

or at any age if the employee has at 

least 20 years of service. An employee is 

considered occupationally disabled if the 

physical or mental condition is such that 

the employee is permanently disabled 

for work in his or her regular railroad 

occupation, even though the employee 

may be able to perform other kinds of 

work.

Of the year’s 1,800 disability awards, 

800 averaging $2,243 per month were 

for total disability and 1,000 averaging 

$3,397 were for occupational disability. 

Many employees who are disabled for all 

employment but are otherwise qualified 

for an occupational disability annuity are 

initially awarded occupational disability 

annuities in order to expedite payment.

An estimated three-fifths of all 

employees recently awarded disability 

annuities will meet the medical criteria 

for a disability freeze determination. 

The standards for freeze determinations 

follow social security law and are 

Number of monthly beneficiaries, 

September 30, 2014, and 2019 (thousands)

Amount of benefits paid,

fiscal years 2014 and 2019 (millions)

1

Includes $60.8 million in fiscal year 2014 and $59.4 million 

in fiscal year 2019 for supplemental annuities.

2

Includes divorced spouses.

1

Without supplemental annuity.

2

Includes divorced spouses.

Average monthly amount,

September 30, 2014, and 2019

 Employee Spouse Survivor

$8,125

$1,600

$2,167

$8,945

$1,892 $2,125

1 2

2

2014

2019

1

 Employee Spouse Aged widow(er)

$2,503

$946

$1,525

$2,839

$1,065

$1,780

1 2

2014

2019

 Employee Spouse

 (includes

 divorced

 spouses)

 Survivor

270

143

125

259

148

106

2014

2019
18 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

comparable to the criteria for granting total disability. Also, an employee granted a 

disability freeze may qualify for early Medicare coverage and lower Federal income taxes on 

his or her annuity.

Of the employees who were awarded regular annuities in fiscal year 2019, approximately 

6,400, or 68 percent, last worked for a railroad either in the calendar year their annuity 

began or in the preceding year. Such retirements are termed “immediate,” while those 

that occur 2 or more calendar years after the year of last railroad employment are called 

“deferred.” As a group, immediate retirees represent career railroad employees who 

worked in the industry until retirement. Awards based on immediate retirement averaged 

$3,594 per month, compared to $2,091 for the 3,000 awards based on deferred retirement. 

Immediate retirees averaged 29 years of railroad service, almost twice the average of 16 

years for deferred retirees. Of the year’s awards, 52 percent of normal age retirements were 

immediate. While 93 percent of all 60/30 retirements were immediate, only 37 percent of 

the reduced age awards to employees with less than 30 years of service were immediate. 

Immediate retirements accounted for 78 percent of the year’s disability awards.

The 259,400 retired employees on the rolls as of September 30, 2019, were being paid 

regular monthly annuities averaging $2,839. The table shown here presents data by type of 

annuity for these benefits.

Of the 22,600 disability annuities being paid, 8,600 were for total disability and 13,900 

for occupational disability. The two types of disability annuities averaged $2,106 and 

$3,266, respectively. 

In fiscal year 

2019, payments of 

over $241 million 

were for total 

disability annuities 

and $643 million 

for occupational 

disability annuities.

Almost 184,000 

employees on the 

rolls at the end of 

fiscal year 2019 

were immediate 

retirees and their 

regular annuities 

averaged $3,271 per 

month. Annuities 

of the 75,400 deferred retirees averaged $1,787. Although their average railroad retirement 

annuity was much lower, a greater proportion of the deferred annuitants also received 

social security benefits – 25 percent compared to 5 percent for the immediate retirees. 

 Employee annuities Average Percent

in current-payment status monthly immediate

on September 30, 2019 Number Percent amount retirements

Age

Beginning at full

retirement age or over 22,500 9 $2,308 49

Unreduced, beginning 

at age 60 to under full

retirement age 107,400 41 3,701 92

Reduced, beginning at

age 60 to under full

retirement age 58,500 23 1,698 28

Disability converted to

age annuity1 48,500 19 2,564 82

Disability 22,600 9 2,822 80

 Total 259,400 100 $2,839 71

1A disability annuity ends when the retiree attains full retirement age, at which time the annuity converts to an 

age and service annuity. Consequently, these annuitants are receiving age and service annuities. Full retirement age is age 65 for those born before 1938 and gradually increases to age 67 for those born in 1960 and 

later.

Note.--Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
 A Review of Operations 19

Moreover, the average social security benefit paid to deferred retirees was higher than that 

paid to immediate retirees. Combined railroad retirement and social security benefits to 

deferred retirees who were dual beneficiaries averaged $2,061, while combined benefits 

to immediate retirees averaged $3,068. The table shown here presents numbers of 

beneficiaries and average benefit amounts for employees on the rolls who were receiving 

social security benefits, and for those who were not, by type of retirement.

Regular employee annuities consist of as many as three components: tier I, tier II, 

and a vested dual benefit. 

Reductions for early age 

retirement are made in all 

components in cases where 

the employee retired before 

full retirement age with less 

than 30 years of railroad 

service. The tier I component 

is based on the employee’s 

combined railroad and social 

security covered earnings, 

and is reduced by the amount 

of any social security benefit 

that the employee receives. 

The gross tier I amounts 

of employees on the rolls at the end of fiscal year 2019 averaged $2,159 per month. Tier I 

amounts of some 7,300 employees were completely offset by social security benefits. Tier I 

amounts being paid averaged $1,995.

The employee tier II component is based solely on railroad earnings. Tier II amounts 

being paid at the end of fiscal year 2019 averaged $918. Employees are eligible for vested 

dual benefits if, based on their own earnings, they met certain vesting requirements and 

qualified for both railroad retirement and social security benefits at the end of 1974, or, in 

some cases, at the end of an earlier year of last railroad service. Some 8,100 retirees were 

receiving vested dual benefits averaging $158 at the end of the fiscal year.

Supplemental employee annuities

A supplemental annuity is payable to employees with a current connection with the 

rail industry at age 60 if the employee has at least 30 years of service, or at age 65 if the 

employee has 25-29 years of service. The employee must also have had some rail service 

before October 1981.

Almost 3,300 supplemental annuities were awarded in fiscal year 2019, about 900 

less than in fiscal year 2018. Nearly 2,500 of the awards (74 percent) began concurrently 

with the employee’s regular annuity, while the remaining 800 were to employees already 

receiving a regular annuity. Supplemental annuity awards averaged approximately $41 

per month after court-ordered partitions; 79 percent were at the current maximum rate 

 Type of retirement 

 

 Dual benefit status Total Immediate Deferred

Receiving social security benefit

 Number 29,000 10,000 19,000

 Average monthly amount:

 Railroad retirement (regular) $1,029 $1,862 $ 590

 Social security 1,379 1,206 1,470

 Combined benefit 2,409 3,068 2,061

Not receiving social security benefit

 Number 230,400 173,900 56,400

 Average monthly amount $3,067 $3,352 $2,191

Note.--Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
20 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

of $43. Supplemental annuities are reduced for any part of a private railroad pension 

attributable to employer contributions. During the fiscal year, 800 supplemental annuities 

were not awarded because they were entirely offset by private pensions. In a few cases, the 

supplemental annuity was partially offset by the pension, or the supplemental annuity was 

not offset because the pension was reduced.

Supplemental annuities averaged $42 and were being paid to over 117,800, or 45 percent, of the retired employees on the rolls at the end of the 2019 fiscal year.

Spouse and divorced spouse annuities

Annuity awards to spouses and divorced spouses of retired employees numbered 9,800 

in fiscal year 2019, 700 less than in the previous year. The table on page 21 presents 

numbers and average amounts of spouse and divorced spouse annuities awarded during 

the year and being paid at the end of the year, by type of annuity and whether subject to 

age reduction.

If an employee is at least age 62 and retires with 10-29 years of railroad service, or has 

5-9 years of service and at least 5 years were after 1995, the employee’s spouse is eligible 

for an annuity at age 62. Full retirement age for a spouse is gradually rising from 65 to 

67, depending on the year of birth. Early retirement reductions are applied to the spouse 

annuity if the spouse retires before full retirement age. The reduction for early retirement 

is 1/144 for each of the first 36 months the spouse is under full retirement age when her or 

his annuity begins and 1/240 for each month (if any) over 36.

If an employee retires with at least 30 years of service and is at least age 60, the 

employee’s spouse is eligible for an annuity at age 60. Prior to 2002, certain early 

retirement reductions were applied to the tier I component of such a spouse annuity if the 

employee retired before age 62, unless the employee attained age 60 and completed 

30 years of service prior to July 1, 1984. If a 30-year employee retired at age 62, no age 

reduction applied to the spouse annuity. December 2001 legislation liberalized early 

retirement benefits for 30-year employees retiring at ages 60 or 61 after 2001 and their 

spouses. A spouse of an employee qualified for an age and service annuity is eligible for 

a spouse annuity at any age if caring for the employee’s unmarried child, and the child is 

under age 18 or the child became disabled before age 22.

Of the approximately 2,600 reduced spouse annuities awarded in fiscal year 2019, 

fewer than 10 averaging $1,074 per month were to spouses of 30-year employees, and over 

2,600 averaging $607 were to spouses of employees with less than 30 years of service.

At the end of fiscal year 2019, nearly 142,900 spouse annuities averaging $1,079 per 

month were being paid. Almost 5,300 divorced spouse annuities averaging $685 per month 

were also being paid. These included nearly 100, averaging $714, where the employee was 

not yet entitled to an annuity. Families with an employee and spouse on the rolls were paid 

combined railroad retirement benefits averaging $4,163. This included $3,084 in regular 

and supplemental employee annuities and $1,079 in spouse annuities.
 A Review of Operations 21

Nearly 58,800, or 40 percent, of the spouses and divorced spouses on the rolls were also 

receiving social security benefits. Combined railroad retirement and social security benefits 

to these annuitants 

averaged $1,692 per 

month, including $425 

in railroad retirement 

benefits and $1,267 in 

social security benefits. 

Railroad retirement 

annuities to the 86,200 

spouses not receiving 

social security benefits 

averaged $1,506, while 

railroad retirement 

annuities to the 3,100 

divorced spouses 

not receiving social 

security benefits 

averaged $915.

Like regular 

employee annuities, 

spouse annuities 

consist of up to three components. The tier I component equals one-half of the employee’s 

tier I amount before any reduction for the employee’s social security benefit. The spouse 

tier I amount is reduced for the spouse’s receipt of a social security benefit and may be 

reduced for a spouse’s public service pension. The tier I portion may also be reduced if the 

spouse receives a railroad retirement employee annuity, but this reduction may be restored 

through an addition to the spouse tier II amount. Divorced spouses receive only a tier I 

benefit.

The spouse tier II component equals 45 percent of the employee’s tier II amount. 

Railroad retirement amendments in 1981 precluded further awards of vested dual benefits 

to spouses.

Of the 142,900 spouses on the rolls at the end of fiscal year 2019, 93,600 were being 

paid tier I amounts averaging $958 per month. The tier I amounts of 49,300 spouses were 

completely offset by other benefits also due. Spouse tier II amounts averaged $491. Vested 

dual benefits averaging $103 were being paid to fewer than 5 spouses. The 5,300 divorced 

spouses on the rolls at the end of fiscal year 2019 were being paid tier I amounts averaging 

$697 per month, not reflecting all annuity adjustments.

Lump-sum retirement benefits

A lump-sum benefit may be payable at retirement to employees who received 

separation or severance payments after 1984. This benefit approximates the tier II payroll 

taxes deducted from separation or severance payments that did not yield additional service 

 In current-payment 

 Awarded in status on

 fiscal year 2019 September 30, 2019

 Monthly spouse Average Average

benefits Number amount Number amount

Beginning at full

retirement age or over 1,900 $ 649 18,000 $ 623

With minor or disabled 

child in care 200 1,319 1,500 1,399

Unreduced, beginning

at age 60 to under full

retirement age 4,400 1,551 79,700 1,481

Reduced rate 2,600 608 43,600 522

Total 9,000 1,086 142,900 1,079

Divorced spouse

annuities 800 719 5,300 685

Grand total 9,800 $1,057 148,200 $1,065

Note.--Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
22 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

credits for retirement. Almost $0.3 million was paid in separation/severance lump-sum 

benefits during fiscal year 2019.

Employees who have at least 10 years of railroad service and are not entitled to a 

vested dual benefit may be eligible for a dual retirement tax refund if they had concurrent 

railroad retirement and social security earnings within the period 1951-74. The refund 

is equal to the social security taxes that the employee paid on the combined railroad and 

social security earnings in excess of the annual railroad retirement creditable earnings 

maximum. During the 2019 fiscal year, the RRB paid nearly 100 dual retirement tax 

refunds averaging $97. Most of the payments were to employees retiring during the year. 

Fewer than 10 refunds were to survivors, mostly widows, of employees who died before 

receiving the refund. Employees entitled to dual retirement tax refunds for years after 

1974 may claim them on their Federal income tax returns.

Survivor 

Monthly benefits

Annuity awards to survivors of deceased railroad employees numbered 6,500 during 

fiscal year 2019, about 400 less than the previous year. Nearly 106,300 survivor annuities 

were being paid at the end of the fiscal year, including 300 temporarily paid at spouse or 

divorced spouse annuity rates pending recomputation to widow(er)s’ rates. Approximately 

82,000, or 77 percent, of the survivor annuities were to aged widows and widowers.

1

The table on page 23 presents numbers and average monthly amounts of survivor 

annuities, by type, for those awarded in the year and those being paid at the end of the 

year.

Survivor annuities, like regular employee and spouse annuities, consist of as many 

as three components: tier I, tier II and, for widows and widowers only, a vested dual 

benefit. As with spouses, legislation in 1981 precluded new awards of vested dual benefits 

to widow(er)s. The tier I component is computed according to social security formulas and 

is based on the deceased employee’s combined railroad and social security earnings. A 

reduction is made for the survivor’s receipt of a social security benefit. There may also be 

a tier I reduction if the survivor receives a railroad retirement employee annuity or public 

pension. Remarried and divorced widow(er)s receive a tier I benefit only. A dependent 

parent receives only a tier I amount if another family member is also receiving benefits or 

if the parent has remarried.

Survivor tier II amounts are figured as a percentage of an employee tier II benefit. Prior 

to 2002, the percentages were 50 percent for a widow(er), 15 percent for a child, and 35 percent for a parent. The total tier II amount for a survivor family was subject to a minimum 

of 35 percent and a maximum of 80 percent of the employee tier II benefit, and all survivor 

tier II amounts were proportionately adjusted when either limit applied. December 2001 

legislation established an “initial minimum amount” for widow(er)s which provides a tier II 

benefit equal to 100 percent of the tier II amount of the deceased employee. The maximum 

tier II amount payable to a family rose to 130 percent of the employee’s tier II amount. 

1

Aged widower statistics in the Survivor section exclude benefits to disabled widow(er)s age 60 and over now payable as 

aged widow(er)’s annuities.
A Review of Operations 23

Widows and widowers are guaranteed a total tier I and tier II amount not less than what 

they were paid as a spouse, any necessary increase being added to tier II.

Aged widow(er)s,

who are eligible for 

benefits at age 60, have 

their tier I and tier II 

amounts reduced if the 

annuity begins before 

full retirement age. 

The eligibility age for 

unreduced annuities 

is gradually rising 

from age 65 to age 67. 

The maximum age 

reductions range from 

17.1 percent to 20.36 

percent, depending on 

the widow(er)’s date 

of birth. Excluding 

nearly 300 annuities 

temporarily paid at 

spouse or divorced 

spouse rates, aged 

widow(er)s’ annuities 

being paid at the end of the 2019 fiscal year included 42,200 which were reduced for age. 

Aged widow(er)s’ tier I amounts being paid averaged $1,417 per month. In over 6,500 

cases, the tier I amount was wholly offset by reductions for other benefits. Approximately 

27,000 aged widow(er)s were also receiving social security benefits, and these averaged 

$1,155. Tier II amounts averaged $478. Less than 50 vested dual benefits, averaging $65, 

were being paid to aged widow(er)s.

The tier I and tier II amounts of disabled widow(er)s’ annuities, which begin at ages 

50-59, are reduced 28.5 percent for age. At the end of fiscal year 2019, tier I amounts being

paid to disabled widow(er)s on the rolls averaged $1,156. (In about 100 cases, the tier I

amount was wholly offset by reductions.) Social security benefits being paid to nearly 1,400

disabled widow(er)s averaged $1,000. Tier II amounts averaged $290, while the less than

50 vested dual benefits being paid averaged $106.

Tier I amounts paid to widowed mothers and fathers (widows and widowers caring for 

children) generally equal 75 percent of the full amount payable to an aged widow(er) before 

any reductions, similar to a social security mother’s or father’s benefit. Eligible children 

and grandchildren are paid this same tier I amount. However, if the sum of the tier I 

amounts of all members of a survivor family exceeds the social security family maximum, 

then tier I amounts are proportionately reduced so that the total equals the maximum. 

Reductions for the family maximum usually occur when the family includes three or more 

In current-payment

Awarded in status on

fiscal year 2019 September 30, 2019

 Monthly survivor Average Average

 benefits Number amount Number amount

 Aged widow(er)s 5,000 $2,299 82,000 $1,780

 Disabled widow(er)s1 100 1,563 3,300 1,401

 Widowed mothers

 (fathers) 100 1,940 600 1,942

 Remarried widow(er)s 100 1,249 2,700 1,152

 Divorced widow(er)s 700 1,271 9,800 1,168

 Children:

 Under age 18 300 1,542 1,600 1,469

 Student * 1,460 * 1,543

 Disabled 100 1,372 6,300 1,072

 Parents * 1,229 * 983

 Total 6,500 ... 106,300 ...

 1Number and average in current-payment status include annuities to disabled widow(er)s

age 60 and over now payable as aged widow(er)s’ annuities.

 *Fewer than 50.

 Note.--Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
24 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

beneficiaries. Tier I amounts being paid as of the end of fiscal year 2019 averaged $1,425 

for widowed mothers and fathers and $1,070 for children. Fewer than 50 mothers/fathers 

and nearly 2,000 children received social security benefits averaging $1,132 and $672, 

respectively. Tier II amounts paid mothers/fathers and children averaged, respectively, 

$546 and $118. 

Lump-sum survivor benefits

A lump-sum death benefit can be payable at the time of an employee’s death only 

if there are no survivors immediately eligible for monthly benefits. For survivors of 

employees who had at least 10 years of railroad service before 1975, the lump-sum death 

benefit is based on the employee’s earnings through 1974, with a maximum amount of 

approximately $1,200. If the employee completed the 10th year of service after 1974, the 

lump-sum death benefit is limited to $255, the maximum benefit payable under social 

security law, and only the widow or widower living in the same household is eligible for the 

benefit. Lump-sum benefits may also be payable to survivors of employees with less than 

10 years of service, but at least 5 years after 1995, if the employee met the social security 

insured status requirements. About 2,100 lump-sum death benefits averaging $948 were 

awarded during fiscal year 2019. Approximately 200 benefits were to widow(er)s, while 

more than 1,900 were to other individuals who paid the funeral expenses.

Another lump-sum survivor benefit, the residual payment, can be made if no other 

benefits based at least in part on an employee’s railroad service will be payable in the 

future, and the total of prior benefit payments is less than what the employee paid in pre1975 railroad retirement taxes. Fewer than 10 residual payments were awarded in the 

2019 fiscal year, and they averaged $1,969. 

Partition Payments

The Pension Protection Act of 2006, as amended, continues the court-ordered 

partitioned portion of the tier II, vested dual and supplemental benefit payments to 

former spouses after the death of the employee. It also allows for payment of court-ordered 

partitioned payments where the employee is not entitled to an annuity if (1) the employee 

has 120 months of railroad service or 60 months of service after 1995, and (2) both the 

employee and spouse or divorced spouse are 62 for a full month, or, if the employee is 

deceased, the employee would be 62 for a full month.

At the end of fiscal year 2019, there were nearly 2,100 spouses and divorced spouses 

receiving payments averaging $321 where the employee was deceased or not otherwise 

entitled to an annuity. While all but 1 received a partitioned tier II benefit, only 

3 percent received a partitioned vested dual benefit and 38 percent received a 

partitioned supplemental benefit.
A Review of Operations 25

Medicare Enrollments

The Medicare program provides health insurance to persons ages 65 and older, as 

well as persons under age 65 who have been entitled to monthly benefits based on total 

disability for at least 24 months. In the case of some disability diagnoses, the waiting 

period is waived. 

Medicare has several parts to its program. Basic hospital insurance, or Medicare 

Part A, is financed through payroll taxes. There is also an elective supplementary medical 

insurance, or Medicare Part B, plan for which monthly premiums are charged. Medicare 

also offers Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) plans that include both Parts A and B 

coverage and additional benefits, sometimes at an additional cost. Finally, Medicare 

Part D provides optional prescription drug coverage for an additional premium. Medicare 

Parts C and D are offered through private insurance companies approved by Medicare.

Eligible railroad retirement annuitants and social security beneficiaries whose benefits 

are payable by the RRB are automatically enrolled under Part A and Part B; however, 

Part B may be declined by the annuitant or beneficiary. Eligible nonretired persons must 

apply in order to obtain Medicare coverage. The RRB automatically enrolled almost 24,900 

beneficiaries for Medicare during fiscal year 2019. As of the end of the fiscal year, about 

465,500 persons were enrolled in the Part A plan, and approximately 446,300 

(96 percent) of them were also enrolled in Part B.

Except for benefits for services in Canada, which are paid from the Railroad Retirement 

Account, Part A benefits for railroad enrollees are paid from the Federal Hospital 

Insurance Trust Fund, the same as for persons covered under the social security system. 

Part B benefits are paid from the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) Trust 

Funds. The carrier for Part B claims of railroad Medicare enrollees made payments totaling 

$832 million in the 2019 fiscal year.

The regular monthly premium for Part B during fiscal year 2019 was $134.00 for 

coverage through December 2018, and $135.50 thereafter. Beneficiaries with modified 

adjusted gross incomes above certain thresholds pay higher Part B and Part D premiums 

under the Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) provisions of law. At the 

end of fiscal year 2019, nearly 17,700 Part B premiums and about 14,400 Part D premiums 

were increased by an IRMAA amount.

The RRB generally withholds Part B premiums from the annuitant’s benefit payments, 

and at the end of fiscal year 2019 about 428,300 annuitants were having their premiums 

withheld. Of the remaining Part B enrollees, over 2,800 were paying premiums to the RRB, 

either directly or through an intermediary, and 15,100 had their premiums paid by state 

agencies. The RRB periodically transfers premiums to the SMI Trust Funds.

The agency is also able to collect Part C and Part D premiums from monthly benefits 

through an exchange process. While this option has grown in popularity, many annuitants 

pay their Part C and Part D premiums directly to their plan. At the end of fiscal year 2019, 

about 12,600 Part C premiums and approximately 58,900 Part D premiums were deducted 

from benefits paid by the RRB.
26 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT AND SICKNESS 

INSURANCE PROGRAM

FINANCIAL OPERATIONS

Costs for the railroad unemployment and sickness insurance program during fiscal year 

2019 were less than financing sources by $47.9 million and the net position increased by 

$47.9 million from $293.0 million at the end of fiscal year 2018 to $340.9 million at the end 

of fiscal year 2019. For fiscal year 2019, as compared to fiscal year 2018, total financing 

sources for the railroad unemployment and sickness insurance program increased by 

$2.4 million (1.8 percent) to $136.7 million.

(text continued on page 28)

Unemployment and Sickness Insurance Program

Consolidated Financing Sources, 

Costs and Net Position (Millions)1

For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30 2019 2018

Financing Sources:

Employer Payroll Taxes $131.4 $133.9

Interest Income 5.3 0.4

General Appropriations 0.0 0.0

Other 0.0 0.0 

 Total Financing Sources 136.7 134.3

Costs:

Benefit Payments:

 Unemployment 35.9 28.3 

 Sickness 66.7 67.0 

Other (13.8) (5.0)

 Total Costs 88.8 90.3

Financing Sources over Costs 47.9 44.0

Net Position - Beginning of Period 293.0 249.0

Net Position - End of Period2 $340.9 $293.0

1

Source of data is the RRB’s Performance and Accountability Report. 

2

Includes funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and the Worker, 

Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, as amended.

Note.--Detail may not add to total due to rounding.
A Review of Operations 27

Benefit Payments 100%

$102.6

Financing Sources - Fiscal Year 2019 (In Millions)

GROSS TOTAL $136.7

UNEMPLOYMENT AND SICKNESS 

INSURANCE PROGRAM

Costs - Fiscal Year 2019 (In Millions)

TOTAL $102.6

Employer Payroll Taxes 96.1%

$131.4

Interest Income 3.9%

$5.3
28 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

Financing Sources

The primary ongoing financing source of the railroad unemployment and sickness 

insurance program is a payroll tax on railroad employers, based on the taxable earnings of 

their employees. The employees themselves are not taxed.

Each employer pays taxes at a rate which takes into consideration its employees’ actual 

incidence of benefit usage. Under experience rating, employers whose employees have low 

incidences of unemployment and sickness pay taxes at a lower rate than those with higher 

levels of benefit usage. Each employer’s rate also has a component for administrative 

expenses and a component to cover costs shared by all employers. The rate applies to 

monthly earnings up to an indexed maximum. In calendar year 2019, the taxable earnings 

base was the first $1,605 of each employee’s monthly earnings. The earnings base is 

indexed each year by a rate which is equal to approximately two-thirds of the annual rate 

of increase in the maximum base for railroad retirement tier I taxes.

In 2019, the basic tax rates on railroad employers, including covered commuter 

railroads, ranged from a minimum of 2.15 percent to a maximum of 12.0 percent. There 

was also a surcharge of 1.5 percent in 2019. Most employers were assessed the minimum 

rate in 2019. New employers in 2019 paid an initial rate of 2.75 percent.

Employer Payroll Taxes

Payroll taxes by employers totaled $131.4 million during fiscal year 2019. This was a 

decrease of 1.9 percent or $2.5 million less than the previous year.

Interest

Cash not needed immediately for unemployment and sickness insurance benefits 

or operating expenses is held in the Federal Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and 

invested by the Secretary of the Treasury. The fund earned an average rate of return of 

2.4 percent in fiscal year 2019, of which the RRB earned $5.4 million as its pro rata share.

Costs

Total costs for the railroad unemployment and sickness insurance program decreased 

by $1.5 million (1.7 percent) to $88.8 million. 

Benefit Payments

During fiscal year 2019, unemployment insurance benefit payments increased by 

$10.2 million (26.9 percent) to $35.9 million. Sickness insurance benefit payments 

decreased by $0.3 million (0.4 percent) to $66.7 million.
 A Review of Operations 29

BENEFIT OPERATIONS

Net unemployment and sickness benefits totaling about $82.4 million were paid in the 

2018-2019 benefit year, $14.7 million less than in the prior year. In accordance with the 

Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Budget 

Control Act of 2011, amounts reflect a reduction of 6.8 percent for days of unemployment 

and sickness after September 30, 2015, 6.9 percent for days after September 30, 2016, 

6.6 percent for days after September 30, 2017, and 6.2 percent for days after September 30, 

2018. Beneficiaries numbered 21,700, in comparison to the previous year’s total of 24,500. 

Almost 500 employees received both unemployment and sickness benefits during the 

2018-2019 benefit year. The number of unemployment benefit claimants decreased by 16 

percent, while sickness benefit claimants decreased by 9 percent. Total net unemployment 

benefit payments decreased by 23 percent, while net sickness benefits decreased by 10 

percent. The number of employees qualified for benefits under the Railroad Unemployment 

Insurance Act decreased 3 percent to 235,400.

Benefits are payable for each day of unemployment or sickness in excess of 7 during the 

first 14-day registration period in a benefit year. During benefit year 2018-2019, there were 

6,600 and 12,200 unemployment and sickness benefit waiting period claims, respectively.

Unemployment

Nearly 7,900 railroad workers were paid $31.6 million in net unemployment 

benefits during the 2018-2019 benefit year. The number of benefit claimants decreased 

by approximately 1,500 from the prior year total of 9,300, and the benefit amount 

decreased $9.2 million from the prior year’s total of $40.9 million. The average number of 

compensable days per unemployment benefit claimant was 67 in benefit year 2018-2019, 

one fewer than the previous benefit year. 

The mid-month unemployment count in the 2018-2019 benefit year began with a July 

count of 1,900 claimants, the low for the year. The count fluctuated before reaching a peak 

of 2,800 in January 2019. The count began to decline in February, reaching 1,900 in May 

2019. For the 2018-2019 benefit year as a whole, the weekly number of claimants averaged 

2,200 in comparison to an average of 2,600 in the previous benefit year. The overall 

unemployment benefit claimant rate, measured in relation to the number of employees 

qualified to receive benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act during a 

particular time period, fell 13 percent to 3.3 per 100 qualified, from the previous year’s 3.8 

per 100 qualified. The median age for all unemployment benefit claimants was 43 years, as 

compared to 42 in the previous benefit year.

NOTE.--Railroad unemployment and sickness benefits are paid on the basis of benefit years beginning July 1 and ending 

June 30 of the following year. Consequently, operational data in this “Benefit Operations” section are generally presented for 

this time span, rather than fiscal years beginning October 1 and ending September 30.
30 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

Item

Benefit year 2018-2019 Benefit year 2017-2018

Total

 Unemploy-

 ment1 Sickness Total

 Unemploy-

 ment1

 Sickness

 Applications 30,100 12,200 17,900 32,100 12,500 19,600

 Claims 182,500 63,000 119,600 209,200 75,500 133,700

 Claimants 1 21,700 7,900 14,400 1 24,500 9,300 15,700

 Gross amount of benefits 2 $82,393,800 $31,651,400 $50,742,400 $97,053,600 $40,879,500 $56,174,100

 Number of payments

 Normal 136,000 46,500 89,500 157,100 56,600 100,500 

 Extended 18,400 5,800 12,600 20,800 6,400 14,500 

 Total 154,400 52,300 102,100 177,900 63,000 115,000 

 Average amount per 

2-week registration period 2

Normal $737 $740 $736 $688 $688 $688

Extended 607 615 603 568 571 567

 Total 722 726 720 674 676 673

1 Benefits for both unemployment and sickness were paid to approximately 500 employees in benefit years 2017-

2018 and 2018-2019. Those claimants who had only a non-compensable waiting period are not included in the 

beneficiary counts since no benefits were paid.

 2 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the 

Budget Control Act of 2011, amounts reflect a reduction of 7.3% under sequestration for days of unemployment 

and sickness after September 30, 2014, a reduction of 6.8% for days after September 30, 2015, a reduction of 

6.9% for days after September 30, 2016, a reduction of 6.6% for days after September 30, 2017, and a reduction of 6.2% for days after September 30, 2018.

NOTE.--In Annual Reports through 2019, information in this table, with respect to benefits paid, was reported on 

a net basis. Beginning with this year’s report, these amounts are now shown on a gross basis.

Major unemployment and sickness benefit operations,

benefit years 2018-2019 and 2017-2018
 A Review of Operations 31

Unemployment and Sickness Benefit Claimants by Age,

Benefit Year 2018-2019

Claimants under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, 

Benefit Years 2014-2015 through 2018-2019

7,568

16,420

13,194

9,317

7,865

15,516 15,963 16,052 15,689

14,351

2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019

Unemployment

Sickness

80

1,673

2,498

2,203

1,310

101 44

1,510

3,353

4,408 4,510

526

Under 25 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65 & Over

Unemployment

Sickness
Sickness

The number of sickness benefit claimants during the 2018-2019 benefit year was 

14,400, about 1,300 less than the previous year. Gross sickness benefits of $73.5 million 

were paid, $3.9 million less than in the prior benefit year. Net sickness benefits totaled 

$50.7 million, reflecting repayment of a large amount of benefits following settlements of 

suits for injuries. Benefits payable for an injury are recoverable if the claimant is awarded 

damages or receives a settlement for the injury. Net benefits decreased by approximately 

$5.4 million in comparison with the previous year.

The utilization rate for sickness benefits was 6.1 percent of qualified employees, lower 

than the previous benefit year’s rate of 6.5 percent, and the lowest since the program’s 

inception. The average duration of sickness was 71 days in benefit year 2018-2019, down 

from 73 in the previous benefit year.

Among the most common causes of sickness were injuries that included fractures or 

wounds (affecting 27 percent of beneficiaries), diseases of the musculoskeletal system and 

connective tissue (24 percent), mental disorders, including drug and alcohol addictions (11 

percent), circulatory and heart disease (7 percent), and digestive disorders (6 percent). The 

median age of all sickness benefit claimants was 50 years, the same as the previous benefit 

year.

32 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board
RAILROAD EMPLOYMENT

The preliminary average monthly railroad employment in fiscal year 2019 fell 

2.0 percent to 219,000 from the 224,000 average of the previous fiscal year. After a period 

of sustained growth, recent railroad employment peaked in April 2015 at 253,000, the 

highest level since November 1999. Employment has since declined 17.3 percent through 

September 2019. During fiscal year 2019, employment began at 226,000 in October 2018 

and November 2018, and thereafter declined to 209,000 in September 2019.

Note.--Numbers for 2019 are preliminary.

Average Railroad Employment

Fiscal Years 2015 through 2019

205,000

210,000

215,000

220,000

225,000

230,000

235,000

240,000

245,000

250,000

255,000

 A Review of Operations 33
34

Performance Management

Customer Service Plan

The RRB’s Customer Service Plan promotes the principles and objectives of

customer-driven quality service agencywide. An important part of the plan is to 

keep customers informed of how well the RRB is meeting timeliness standards. The RRB 

publicizes the Customer Service Plan and performance results and posts them in every 

field office. The plan is reviewed and updated periodically based on agency experience, 

customer feedback, and comparison with similar best-in-business models.

The agency has developed an index to measure the overall timeliness of customer 

service in four benefit areas: retirement applications; survivor applications; disability 

applications and payments; and railroad unemployment and sickness benefit applications 

and claims. In addition, this composite indicator, based on a weighted average, allows for 

a more concise and meaningful presentation of its customer service efforts in these four 

areas. During fiscal year 2019, the overall benefit timeliness index was 98.6 percent. This 

means that the RRB provided benefit services within the timeframes promised in the 

Customer Service Plan 98.6 percent of the time. Overall performance and processing times 

during fiscal year 2019 were only slightly lower than the 98.8 percent composite level seen 

in fiscal year 2018. The RRB also met or exceeded seven out of ten of its customer service 

performance goals for the year in its Annual Performance Plan.

Reducing Improper Payments

The RRB developed an agency risk assessment plan in response to provisions in the 

Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA) and Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) guidance. The objective is to evaluate payment outlays susceptible to 

improper payments by assessing risk for the benefit programs that the RRB administers. 

Risk assessments for the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), Railroad Unemployment 

Insurance Act (RUIA), and railroad Medicare programs were previously included in the 

Performance and Accountability Report for fiscal year 2016. Risk assessments will be 

completed again for the RRA and RUIA programs in fiscal year 2020.

The RRB’s estimated improper payment rate for the RRA and RUIA programs has 

consistently fallen below the statutory threshold for “significant improper payments.” In 

Administrative Developments

The following describes some major activities and issues addressed in 2018 and 2019

as part of the RRB’s efforts to improve operations and customer service.
 Administrative Developments 35

fiscal year 2018, the RRB requested reporting relief for these two programs following the 

guidance in OMB Circular A-123, Appendix C, Part II.A.3. OMB approved this request in 

July 2018.

Medicare was the only program with payment integrity data reported in the agency’s 

Fiscal Year 2018 Performance and Accountability report. The RRB reported the results 

for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) comprehensive error rate 

testing program as it pertained to the RRB’s specialty Medicare administrative contractor, 

Palmetto GBA. However, the same testing results were captured by the Department 

of Health and Human Services in its 2018 Agency Financial Report, which resulted in 

duplicative reporting. The RRB consulted with CMS and decided to no longer include 

the results of this testing in the agency’s Performance and Accountability Report. The 

RRB notified OMB of this decision and received no objection. As a result, the RRB ceased 

reporting improper payment data for the railroad Medicare starting with the Fiscal Year 

2019 Program Integrity Report.

In addition, pursuant to a request from OMB, the RRB submitted information on 

overpayments recaptured outside payment recapture audits and the dollar amounts of 

confirmed fraud as determined by the agency’s Office of Inspector General. Information 

provided to OMB was incorporated into its website, PaymentAccuracy.gov, which 

features current and historical improper payment data for all government agencies and is 

available for public viewing.

Service Enhancements

Employer Reporting System

The Employer Reporting System is a web-based platform that enables railroad 

employers to submit information to the RRB through a secure and efficient electronic 

process instead of mailing paper forms. In fiscal year 2019, the agency focused on 

improvements and enhancements to the 30 existing services available to employers, as 

opposed to adding new ones. Specifically, action was taken to evaluate and update the 

system’s existing risk assessment to ensure that it meets with current requirements of 

the Federal Information Security Modernization Act. The risk assessment update is also 

significant in terms of guaranteeing compliance with guidance from the National Institute 

of Standards and Technology and OMB on digital authentication.

Cost-of-Living Adjustment

In December 2019, tier I benefits increased by 1.6 percent while tier II benefits rose by 

0.5 percent, due to a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The increases were effective with 

the January 2020 payments, with income tax withholding calculated using updated tax 

tables. The increase was paid to 517,300 annuitants, and was also included in RRB-paid 

social security benefits to 126,414 beneficiaries. The total amount of the COLA was over 

$11.7 million in railroad retirement annuities and almost $2.7 million in social security 
36 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

benefits. The standard Medicare Part B premium for 2020 increased from $135.50 per 

month to $144.60, with increased premiums for some high-income beneficiaries.

Officials

Erhard Chorlé continues to serve as Chairman of the Railroad Retirement Board, along 

with John Bragg as the Labor Member and Thomas Jayne as the Management Member. 

All three first assumed office in February 2019, the first time that had occurred since 1934. 

Martin Dickman has served as the Inspector General for the RRB since 1994.

In July 2019, the Board named Crystal Coleman as the agency’s Director of Programs. 

At the time of her appointment, she had served as the Deputy Director of Programs 

since November 2015. Before joining the RRB, Ms. Coleman was the Deputy Regional 

Administrator for the Employee Benefits Security Administration in Dallas. In October 

2019, the Board appointed Terryne Murphy as the agency’s Chief Information Officer 

(CIO). Previously, she worked at the Department of Commerce, serving as Acting CIO and 

Deputy CIO for Solutions & Service Delivery.

Human Capital Management

Staffing

More than 40 percent of the RRB’s employees have 20 or more years of service, and 

almost 30 percent of the current workforce will be eligible for retirement by fiscal year 

2021. To help cope with the loss of experience and bridge the knowledge gap, the agency 

continues to place increased emphasis on strategic management of human capital, 

particularly in the areas of training, development, and succession planning. The RRB 

continues to work on developing a new methodology to identify potential areas of skill and 

knowledge gaps which it plans to implement through the agency’s Learning Management 

System (LMS). The LMS is an information system that assists the agency in managing 

and planning its training program. This new methodology will incorporate job analysis 

of agency positions to identify critical competencies and skill gaps within the current 

employee base, which the LMS can then be used to address.

The RRB also continues to work on improving its assessment and hiring processes. 

With assistance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the agency has 

developed online assessment tools for entry-level claims examiners and claims 

representative positions, and the RRB continues to work with OPM on additional 

assessment tools. In fiscal year 2019, the RRB posted openings for accountants, claims 

assistant, and claims representative positions. All of these openings drew a high volume 

of applicants. The agency also announced a number of priority information technology 

and security jobs for the Bureau of Information Services. Altogether, the RRB posted 163 

internal and external job announcements, with 82 external hires in fiscal year 2019.

Two training classes for initial adjudication examiners were completed in 2019. One 

was for processing applications for sickness and unemployment benefits under the RUIA, 
Administrative Developments 37

and the other was for Medicare examiners who enroll individuals and process payments. 

The RUIA class included eight new examiners, and was completed in October 2019, while 

the Medicare class had six examiners complete the training in November 2019. The Office 

of Programs projects a continuing need for numerous initial and post training classes for 

employees who are responsible for customer service, adjudication, and policy and systems, 

for both the RRA and RUIA through fiscal year 2021.

Training

The training section in the RRB’s Bureau of Human Resources continues to create, 

implement, and modify an overall training program with the goal of creating opportunities 

to assist employees in building the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to achieve the 

agency’s strategic goals. In 2019, the bureau once again coordinated and hosted the RRB 

Employee Fair for headquarters employees. About 200 employees participated in the 

2-day event that included workshops and informational booths for different RRB-provided

services and topics. In addition, the training team conducted workshops on individual

development plans throughout the year. Staff also continued to implement the onboarding

program for new employees; created and published 11 online courses to the agency’s LMS

to satisfy mandatory Federal training requirements, as well as online training for new

policies and procedures implemented during the year; and coordinated the delivery of

more than 35 in-person, instructor-led training sessions on soft-skill courses. The training

section also partnered with the Bureau of Information Services to implement agency wide

information security training strategies for all employees.

The agency continues to use its LMS, also known as RRB University, as the cornerstone 

of its training and development activities. This platform allows the agency to accurately 

track, document and deliver training opportunities to employees throughout the RRB, and 

has been incorporated into mandatory technical training for employees in the agency’s 

Bureau of Field Service and Office of Programs. In 2019, more than 1,060 employees and 

contractors completed 881 individual learning objects (i.e., online courses, instructor-led 

training, form requirements, course curricula, etc.) managed through the LMS, for a total 

of 24,374 learning-object completions.

Office of Programs staff also took advantage of 14 external training courses in 2019, 

including offerings on communication skills, contract management, instructional design, 

labor relations, presentation skills, project management, sexual harassment in the 

workplace, and supervisory skills. 

Employee Survey

The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, developed by OPM, is a tool that measures 

employees’ perceptions of whether, and to what extent, conditions characterizing successful 

organizations are present in their agencies. Similar to prior years, the responses by RRB 

employees to the 2019 survey were positive. Of the 809 employees invited to participate, 

346 completed the survey, for a response rate of 43 percent. Forty survey items were 
38 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

identified as strengths (65 percent or more positive) while only four survey items were 

identified as a challenge (35 percent or more negative). Additionally, scores for 55 items 

increased since the last survey while only ten items decreased. The agency’s “engagement 

index” score exceeded OPM’s goal for 2019 of 69 percent, and met or exceeded the 

governmentwide benchmarks in all areas.

Based on OPM guidelines for determining notable results, the RRB scored especially 

high (greater than 65 percent favorable) on the majority of items measuring personal work 

experiences. About 95 percent of the RRB respondents think the work they do is important, 

and 88 percent know how their work relates to the agency’s goals and priorities. Over 75 

percent of respondents feel their work gives them a feeling of personal accomplishment. 

More than 82 percent of respondents like the kind of work they do and feel they are held 

accountable for achieving results. Also, 83 percent of agency employees continued to feel 

supported by their supervisors in balancing work and other life issues.

On the other hand, the lowest scores were on items measuring performance culture 

and talent management, although these scores still represent only a minority of the 

employees who responded. For example, only 41 percent of the employees surveyed agree 

that pay raises depend on how well employees perform their jobs, and only 42 percent of 

respondents feel creativity and innovation are rewarded. Almost 42 percent feel they do 

not have sufficient resources to get their jobs done. As a result, this is an area the agency 

intends to concentrate on improving in the upcoming years.

Employee Recognition

The RRB recognizes its employees for their contributions to the agency, and service 

to the railroad public, as part of its annual “Award for Excellence” program. All agency 

employees, supervisors and work teams have the opportunity to be recognized for their 

accomplishments, with the nominees, finalists and winners honored at an annual awards 

ceremony. The 32nd awards ceremony was held in July 2019 at Kasbeer Hall on Loyola 

University Chicago’s neighboring Water Tower campus. The program honored seven 

individual nominations and two team nominations.

Information Technology

myRRB

In October 2019, the agency debuted a new gateway to online services through 

its website, RRB.gov. This gateway, myRRB, replaced the previous website portal 

known as “Benefit Online Services.” While providing access to the same online services, 

myRRB offers a simplified, more approachable design that also incorporates identity 

protection and verification through login.gov. Launched in 2017 by the General Services 

Administration, login.gov provides a single sign-on solution that enables citizens to 

access several government programs and services using the same email address and 

password. Login.gov verifies a user’s identity during the account creation process and 
Administrative Developments 39

each time the user tries to access the system, providing an extra layer of security to 

protect personal information. MyRRB is mobile-device friendly, and offers the following 

services to railroad employees: apply for and claim unemployment benefits, claim 

sickness benefits, view RUIA account history, view service and compensation history, and 

obtain a retirement benefits estimate. Customers can also request various documents 

through myRRB without having to sign in, including a duplicate tax statement, 

a monthly rate verification letter, a replacement Medicare card, and a copy of the 

employee’s service and compensation history. The agency continues to plan for further 

improvements to myRRB that will introduce new self-serve options and enhance existing 

services.

Information Security

The RRB is committed to protecting its annuitants’ information from unauthorized 

use or disclosure, and continues to work on improving its security capabilities. In 

2019, the RRB’s information security team administered statutorily required securityawareness training for agency employees and contractors. Staff members identified 

as having more significant information security responsibilities participated in 

enhanced role-based security training. In addition, the RRB’s privacy team prepared 

and coordinated training for all employees and necessary contractors on safeguarding 

controlled unclassified information, Federal tax information, and Privacy Act information. 

Information Resources Management

In fiscal year 2019, the RRB coordinated and secured computer matching agreements 

with 11 states. The agency also secured OMB approval of 13 information collections. 

A central goal of the OMB review process is to help agencies strike a balance between 

collecting information needed to fulfill their statutory missions and guarding against 

unnecessary or duplicative requests that impose unjustified costs on the public.

Process Improvements

The RRB implemented several improvements to assist employees in the Office of 

Programs in effectively and efficiently processing benefit claims and payments.

• A project began in fiscal year 2019 to expand tables and fields in the Service 

Earnings and Railroad Compensation History (SEARCH) program. The initiative 

will take place in two phases. The first phase expands the number of tables from the 

year 2020 to the year 2034, which translates into a 14-year increase in the amount 

of data. The second phase will expand the field length of various SEARCH fields. 

The first phase was completed in October 2019, and the second, more complex phase 

is underway. This involves the expansion of the primary insurance amount fields 

from four spaces, or bytes, to five bytes, and the expansion of the tier II contribution 
40 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

field from seven bytes to eight bytes. This also requires integration testing and 

involvement with various other systems.

• The RRB upgraded its imaging system by instituting a two-dimension barcode

on several forms and programs used to process benefits. The new barcode is both

more concise and can hold more information, thereby enabling integration with the

agency’s program to assign and track work. As a result, the RRB updated scanning

applications in its headquarters and all 53 field offices.

Disaster Recovery Test

In August 2019, the RRB conducted a successful agencywide disaster recovery test. 

This was the third annual test conducted over a 2-day period, with all testers accessing 

applications and systems from remote locations. In addition to testing access to the RRB’s 

virtual private network as well as mainframe applications and menus, the scope of the 

test also included the ability to exchange files with the Social Security Administration 

and the Department of the Treasury. The file transfer with Treasury encountered a 

problem on the first day of the test, but was completed successfully on the second day. 

Otherwise, the test identified no major issues or material weaknesses.

Office of Equal Opportunity

Equal Opportunity Policies and Procedures

The agency’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint program has policies 

and procedures in place to address all forms of discrimination, including harassment. The 

discrimination complaint process and the anti- harassment complaint process have the 

elements of impartiality, timeliness and credibility. 

Both the agency’s website and its intranet include information to ensure that the public 

and agency employees have access to information regarding the complaint programs. 

Training is provided to ensure that employees know their rights and responsibilities under 

various Federal laws and executive orders. In fiscal year 2019, the agency’s Office of Equal 

Opportunity (OEO) created a poster summarizing all EEO programs, and it is posted on 

every floor at headquarters and in each field office.

Diversity Program

Throughout the year, the OEO sponsored many events and activities to foster an 

inclusive work environment and enhance the understanding of disability issues. These 

included a variety of cultural enrichment events to commemorate African American 

History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, and Hispanic 

Heritage Month, as well as National Disability in Employment Awareness Month. These 

events/programs were organized by the OEO’s three employee committees: the Workplace 
Administrative Developments 41

Diversity Committee, the Federal Women’s Program Committee and the Employee’s with 

Disabilities Advisory Council. 

Recruitment

The RRB is committed to maintaining a diverse workforce. The OEO worked 

cooperatively with the Bureau of Human Resources in 2019 to create a diverse pool of 

external job applicants by identifying sources for the recruitment of individuals with 

disabilities, various underrepresented groups, and disabled veterans.

Public Information Activities

The RRB maintains direct contact with railroad retirement beneficiaries through 

its field offices located across the country. Field personnel explain benefit rights and 

responsibilities on an individual basis, assist railroad employees in applying for benefits 

and answer any questions related to the benefit programs. The RRB also relies on railroad 

labor groups and employers for assistance in keeping railroad personnel informed about its 

benefit programs.

The Office of the Labor Member has proactively helped educate rail union officials 

about the benefits available to members and their families under the Railroad Retirement 

and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts since 1957. At seminars sponsored by the 

Labor Member of the Board, RRB employees describe and discuss the benefits available 

under the railroad retirement-survivor, unemployment-sickness, and Medicare programs, 

and provide attendees with comprehensive informational materials. These meetings are 

attended by officials and members of rail labor unions, as well as railroad employees and 

spouses nearing retirement. In 2019, seminars were held in a number of RRB-serviced 

cities throughout the country. In addition, railroad labor unions frequently request that 

RRB representatives speak before their meetings, seminars and conventions.

At seminars for railroad executives and managers, agency representatives review 

programs, financing, and administration, with special emphasis on those areas which 

require cooperation between railroads and RRB offices. During 2019, the Management 

Member’s Office conducted seminars and presentations for railroad officials, as well as 

benefit update presentations and pre-retirement counseling seminars attended by railroad 

employees and their spouses.

Office of Inspector General

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the RRB focuses its audit and investigative 

efforts on protecting the integrity of the agency’s trust funds by providing comprehensive 

program and operational oversight. Reports issued by the OIG and other documents 

referenced here can be found at RRB.gov/OurAgency/InspectorGeneral/Library. 
42 2018 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

Office of Audit

During fiscal year 2019, the Office of Audit published 15 audit reports, including 

mandated audits and assessments such as the annual information security audit, the 

annual Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 compliance audit, 

the annual financial statement audit, an assessment of the RRB’s compliance with the 

Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014, and the annual Federal Information 

Security Modernization Act of 2014 compliance audit. The OIG also issued audits of the 

RRB’s disability program, railroad Medicare program, and the RRB’s write-off and waiver 

processes in addition to a variety of other areas. In total, the Office of Audit issued 153 

recommendations to agency management and identified more than $6 million in questioned 

costs.

Pursuant to the Reports Consolidation Act of 2000 and the requirements of OMB 

Circular A-136, the OIG issued a document that identified the most serious management 

challenges facing the RRB and its progress in addressing them. The OIG identified 

the following challenges: disability program integrity; information technology security 

and systems modernization; management of railroad Medicare; payment accuracy and 

transparency; financial management and reporting; and compliance with various Federal 

guidance.

Office of Investigations

The Office of Investigations focuses on identifying, investigating, and presenting RRB 

fraud cases for prosecution or monetary recovery action. It also seeks to prevent and 

deter RRB program fraud by reporting systemic weaknesses in agency operations and 

processes identified through investigative work. In order to maximize the impact of its 

resources, the office pursues cooperative investigative activities in coordination with other 

Inspectors General, such as the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health 

and Human Services, and other law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of 

Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service. 

As of September 30, 2019, the Office of Investigations’ caseload totaled 312 matters, 

which represents more than $314 million in potential fraud losses.1 During fiscal year 

2019, the office secured 8 arrests, 25 indictments and/or informations, 39 convictions, 15 

civil judgments, and more than $106 million in financial accomplishments.2

1 This reflects potential fraud amounts related to programs administered exclusively by the RRB and potential fraud 

amounts from other Federal programs such as Medicare or social security which have been identified by Office of 

Investigations’ joint investigative work. 2 The total amount of financial accomplishments reflects fraud amounts related to programs administered 

exclusively by the RRB and fraud amounts from other Federal programs such as Medicare or social security were 

included in the disposition resulting from the investigation.
Legal Rulings

43

Court Cases

S ix petitions for review were filed during the fiscal year in the U.S. Circuit Courts 

of Appeal, with three rulings issued and three cases still pending at the end of the 

year. Of the two cases filed in the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal the previous fiscal year, 

one was dismissed and one remained pending at the end of the fiscal year. In addition, 

during the fiscal year one case was opened in the U.S. District Court for the Southern 

District of Texas and was dismissed and one case was opened in the U.S. District Court for 

the Southern District of Georgia and remained pending. Finally, one petition for certiorari 

was filed in the U.S. Supreme Court and remained pending at the end of the fiscal year. 

Appeals

Any claimant for benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) or the Railroad 

Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) may appeal a determination he or she feels is not 

justified. This appeal must be filed within certain time frames. Appeals are heard and 

decided by the RRB’s Bureau of Hearings and Appeals. An appellant who is dissatisfied 

with the decision on his or her appeal may further appeal the case to the three-member 

Board within a prescribed period of time.

RRA

 During fiscal year 2019, 224 appeals were filed with the Bureau of Hearings and 

Appeals under the RRA, and the Bureau rendered decisions in 211 appeals. The 

reconsideration decision was sustained in 110 cases. In 101 appeals the decision was 

favorable to the claimant in whole or in part.

Forty-four appeals were filed with the Board in fiscal year 2019, and the Board issued 

31 decisions. In 21 cases the previous ruling of the hearings officer was affirmed, in 4 cases 

the decision was fully favorable to the appellant, and in 1 case the decision was partially 

favorable. The Board remanded 4 cases to the Bureau of Hearings and Appeals. One appeal 

was dismissed. At the end of the year, 138 appeals were pending before the Board.

During fiscal year 2019, six cases involving the RRB were filed

with Federal courts and the agency issued a total of 278 decisions

on claimant appeals of previous agency determinations.
RUIA

 During fiscal year 2019, 27 appeals were filed with the Bureau of Hearings and 

Appeals under the RUIA, and the Bureau rendered decisions in 33 appeals. The 

reconsideration decision was sustained in 23 cases. In 10 appeals the decision was 

favorable to the claimant in whole or in part.

Ten appeals were filed with the Board in fiscal year 2019. The Board rendered decisions 

in 2 appeals affirming the decision of the hearings officer, and in 1 appeal the decision was 

partially favorable to the appellant. At the end of the year, 16 appeals were pending before 

the Board.

44 2018 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board
STATISTICAL

TABLES
Total1 Retirement2 Survivor2 Unemployment3 Sickness3

BENEFICIARIES (in thousands)2010....................................................... 617 428 161 22 18

2011....................................................... 603 429 156 11 18

2012....................................................... 595 429 150 10 17

2013....................................................... 592 429 146 11 16

2014....................................................... 585 428 141 10 16

2015....................................................... 581 428 136 9 16

2016....................................................... 583 428 131 17 17

2017....................................................... 574 427 127 12 16

2018....................................................... 563 423 123 9 16

2019....................................................... 4557 422 119 9 15

BENEFIT PAYMENTS (in millions)2010....................................................... $10,966.7 $8,588.6 $2,187.1 5$113.7 $77.32011....................................................... 11,072.7 8,778.5 2,165.3 552.1 76.92012....................................................... 11,446.3 9,155.4 2,171.7 546.2 73.02013....................................................... 11,748.1 9,456.5 2,175.5 551.5 64.62014....................................................... 11,998.3 9,724.9 2,167.2 540.8 65.42015....................................................... 12,273.2 10,012.2 2,156.9 36.7 67.42016....................................................... 12,497.4 10,202.4 2,139.2 80.2 75.62017....................................................... 12,593.3 10,341.4 2,121.9 53.8 76.32018....................................................... 12,803.5 10,567.2 2,118.8 40.7 76.82019....................................................... 13,077.9 10,836.8 2,125.0 42.3 73.8

1 Beneficiaries and benefit payments include partition payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased or not otherwise entitled to an annuity. Benefit payments also  include a small amount of payments for hospital insurance benefits for services in Canada. The number of beneficiaries represents all individuals paid benefits in year. In the total number for each  year, beneficiaries are counted only once, even though they may have received more than one type of benefit.

2 Retirement benefits include vested dual benefit and supplemental annuity payments. Survivor benefits include vested dual benefit payments but exclude partition payments.

3 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011, amounts reflect a reduction of 9.2% under sequestration for days of unemployment and sickness after February 28, 2013, 7.2% for days after September 30, 2013, 7.3% for days after September 30, 2014, 6.8% for days after September 30, 2015, 6.9% for  days after September 30, 2016, 6.6% for days after September 30, 2017, and 6.2% for days after September 30, 2018.4 In fiscal year 2019, 6,700 individuals received both retirement and survivor benefits, 600 employees received both unemployment and sickness benefits, and 1,700 employees received benefits under both the Railroad Retirement Act and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. 5 Includes temporary extended unemployment benefits under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, as  amended by the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011, the Middle Class Tax Relief and  Job Creation Act of 2012, and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. Benefits had to begin by December 31, 2013.NOTE.-- In Annual Reports through 2019, information in this table, with respect to unemployment and sickness benefits paid, was reported on a net basis. Beginning with this year's report, these amounts are shown on a gross basis. 

Table 1.--Beneficiaries and benefits paid under the Railroad Retirement Act and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, by fiscal year, 2010-2019, cash basis

Fiscal year

46 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board
 

StatisticalTables 47

Item 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACCOUNTReceipts

Tax transfers 1..................................................................... $2,599.0 $2,712.7 $2,659.8 $3,140.2 $3,392.2 $3,760.8 $3,586.7 $3,562.9 $3,822.9 $3,730.4Interest and profit on investments 2....................................... 11.0 12.3 11.4 9.0 14.0 17.2 16.8 16.4 15.8 11.0Transfers from the National RR Investment Trust 3.................. 1,989.0 1,744.0 2,026.0 1,581.0 1,429.0 1,191.0 1,410.0 1,821.0 1,809.0 1,794.0Transfers from the SSEB Account 3....................................... 81.0 255.0 19.0 171.0 93.0 129.0 ........ (296.0) 91.0 191.0Loan repayments from RUI Account 4..................................... ........ 48.4 ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ Loan repayments from DBP Account 4..................................... ........ ........ ........ ........ 4.5 ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ 

Expenditures

Benefit payments 5............................................................... $4,474.4 $4,600.3 $4,775.0 $4,906.2 $5,044.0 $5,106.8 $5,229.0 $5,321.4 $5,446.1 $5,548.2Financial Interchange adjustment 6....................................... (13.1) (88.5) (141.9) (166.6) (164.0) (162.3) (146.5) ........ ........ ........ Net transfers to administration............................................. 68.7 73.6 69.6 70.2 69.3 72.1 72.3 76.7 85.7 84.1Loans to RUI Account......................................................... 46.5 ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ Loans to DBP Account 7...................................................... ........ ........ ........ ........ 4.5 ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ 

SOCIAL SECURITY EQUIVALENT BENEFIT ACCOUNT 8Receipts

Tax transfers 1..................................................................... $2,514.9 $2,675.3 $2,878.5 $2,954.1 $3,163.1 $3,389.3 $3,097.5 $3,113.8 $3,267.3 $3,129.8Interest and profit on investments 2....................................... 18.9 21.9 20.1 22.4 21.9 24.3 18.6 14.9 24.4 23.4Transfers under financial interchange 9................................. 4,391.6 4,574.3 4,651.0 4,499.0 4,700.8 4,676.6 4,662.7 4,522.5 4,942.4 4,946.4Advances against financial interchange 10.............................. 3,819.0 3,820.4 3,738.6 3,943.0 3,886.1 3,849.9 3,926.1 4,095.4 4,109.1 4,306.4

Expenditures

Benefit payments............................................................... $6,243.7 $6,291.1 $6,506.7 $6,686.9 $6,815.2 $7,035.4 $7,090.4 $7,124.5 $7,226.7 $7,403.8Financial Interchange adjustment 6....................................... 13.1 88.5 141.9 166.6 164.0 162.3 146.5 ........ ........ ........ Net transfers to administration............................................. 33.6 29.6 31.4 30.1 32.3 32.9 30.0 30.5 29.8 33.4Transfers under financial interchange 11................................. 535.1 477.2 510.9 576.6 611.6 594.7 656.8 637.4 596.5 570.3Repayment of advances against financial interchange 4............ 3,837.6 3,946.6 3,946.3 3,863.1 4,041.9 3,982.7 3,940.1 4,054.5 4,194.3 4,202.4Transfers to the National RR Investment Trust/RR Account 3... 81.0 255.0 19.0 171.0 93.0 129.0 ........ (296.0) 91.0 191.0

See footnotes at end of table.

Table 2.--Status of the Railroad Retirement Act accounts and trust funds, by fiscal year, 2010-2019 (In millions), cash basis

Fiscal Year
48 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Item 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 NATIONAL RAILROAD RETIREMENT INVESTMENT TRUST 11 Cash and investment balance at end of period 12...........................$23,770.4 $22,119.0 $23,586.2 $24,963.7 $26,039.9 $24,483.9 $25,007.7 $26,389.6 $26,468.7 $25,332.4 DUAL BENEFITS PAYMENTS ACCOUNT 13 Loans from Railroad Retirement Account 7.................................... ........ ........ ........ ........ $4.5 ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ Benefit payments..................................................................... $62.1 $55.2 $48.6 $42.6 37.2 $31.9 $27.5 $23.6 $20.2 $17.1 Repayment of loans from Railroad Retirement Account 4............... ........ ........ ........ ........ 4.5 ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ Table 2.--Status of the Railroad Retirement Act accounts and trust funds, by fiscal year, 2010-2019 (in millions), cash basis - Continued Fiscal Year

1 Net of U.S. Treasury adjustments for payroll tax refunds to certain carriers and their employees for prior periods. Includes Federal income tax transfers under section 72(r) of the Internal

Revenue Code as amended. In calendar years 2011-2012, Social Security Equivalent Benefit Account includes general revenue transfers under the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance

Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 and the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, respectively. The final reconciliation for calendar years 2011-2012 occurred

in June 2015. In fiscal year 2012, Social Security Equivalent Benefit Account includes a one-time general revenue transfer under the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act of 2010. 2 Net of interest on U.S. Treasury adjustments for payroll tax refunds (see note 1). 3 Under the Railroad Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act of 2001, as amended, the portion of the Railroad Retirement Account not needed to pay current administrative expenses

is to be transferred to the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust (Trust). The Trust may transfer funds back to the Railroad Retirement Account for payment of benefits. The balance of the Social Security Equivalent Benefit (SSEB) Account not needed to pay current benefits and administrative expenses is to be transferred to the Trust or to the Railroad Retirement Account. The SSEB Account transferred funds to the Trust in fiscal year 2003 and to the Railroad Retirement Account thereafter. In fiscal year 2017, the Railroad RetirementAccount transferred funds to the SSEB Account to pay benefits. In fiscal years 2018 and 2019, the SSEB Account transferred funds not needed to pay current benefits and administrativeexpenses to the Railroad Retirement Account. 4 Includes interest. 5 Effective January 1, 2002, supplemental benefits are paid from the Railroad Retirement Account. 6 Adjustments in benefit payments charged to the Social Security Equivalent Benefit Account as compared to actual financial interchange benefits, with interest. This adjustment was

discontinued in fiscal year 2017.

7 Due to delay in enactment of a continuing resolution, the Dual Benefits Payments Account borrowed $4,500,000 from the Railroad Retirement Account in October 2013 in order to pay

vested dual benefits. The loan was repaid in entirety in December 2013.

8 Established October 1, 1984, to keep track of the financing and payment of social security level portions of railroad retirement benefits. 9 Transfers to or from OASDHI Trust Funds under section 7(c)(2) of the 1974 Railroad Retirement Act.

10 Advances, including interest, from U.S. Treasury to offset lag in receipt of financial interchange funds under section 7(c)(4) of the 1974 Railroad Retirement Act as amended.11 Established February 1, 2002, for investment of railroad retirement assets.12 Source: National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust.13 Established October 1, 1981, to keep track of the financing and payment of vested dual benefits.

NOTE.--This Table has been revised to only include information from the Monthly Treasury Statements and other resources within the Railroad Retirement Board's Bureau of the Actuary and Research.
 

StatisticalTables 49

Table 3.--Status of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account, by fiscal year, 2015-2019 (in thousands), cash basis

Fiscal year

 Item 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019RECEIPTS Taxes............................................................................ $46,672 $90,241 $100,030 $108,255 $105,243 Interest.....................................................................3,165 2,514 1,945 2,480 2,058 Transfer from Administration fund under sec. 11(d) of the RUI Act......................................... 11,339 13,375 12,357 11,208 9,674 Undistributed recoveries of benefit payments1........... 368 2,458 (2,866) (439) (42) Total...................................................................................... $61,544 $108,588 $111,466 $121,504 $116,933EXPENDITURES Benefit payments2................................................................. $83,501 $133,492 $105,614 $92,750 $87,768 Funding for Office of Inspector General........................................................ 1,053 1,080 1,260 1,522 1,421 Total.......................................................................... $84,554 $134,572 $106,875 $94,272 $89,189Cash balance end of period........................................................ $95,002 $69,019 $73,610 $100,843 $128,587

1 Net of distributed payments.2 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011, amounts reflect a reduction of 9.2% under sequestration for

 days of unemployment and sickness after February 28, 2013, 7.2% for days after September 30, 2013, 7.3% for days after September 30, 2014, 6.8% for days after September 30, 2015, 6.9% for days after September 30, 2016, 6.6% for days after September 30, 2017, and 6.2% for days after September 30, 2018.
50 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Table 4.--Status of the RUIA Administration Fund, by fiscal year, 2010-2019 (in thousands), cash basis Transfer to Railroad Unemployment Insurance Taxes and Administrative Account under Balance at Fiscal year interest expenditures1 Sec. 11d2 end of period 2010...................................... 22,990 15,729 8,305 8,421 2011...................................... 23,722 12,442 7,918 11,783 2012...................................... 25,463 14,608 11,219 11,419 2013...................................... 26,202 14,591 10,706 12,324 2014...................................... 25,225 15,172 12,257 10,120 2015...................................... 28,063 12,987 11,339 13,858 2016...................................... 27,146 15,498 13,375 12,132 2017...................................... 26,551 14,842 12,357 11,483 2018...................................... 25,621 17,429 11,208 8,467 2019...................................... 26,203 16,066 9,674 8,930 

1 Expenditures for each year included encumbrances as of end of year. Fiscal years 2009 and 2011-2019 reflect 

reallocation of prior period administrative expenses between the Railroad Retirement Act and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act programs.

2 Transfers to the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account are based on the excess of the accrual balance on the prior

September 30 over $6,000,000.
 

StatisticalTables 51

Retired employees

Spouses

Awarded Disability and Widowed

age converted Supple- divorced Aged Disabled mothers Remarried Divorced 

 Total1 annuity to age2 Disability mental3 spouses widow(er)s4 widow(er)s5 (fathers)4 Children widow(er)s widow(er)s4

NUMBER AT END OF YEAR2010 ............................ 676,653 190,236 35,557 47,960 121,166 137,112 114,929 4,251 776 10,168 4,161 9,5952011 ............................ 672,484 190,100 36,259 46,850 121,422 138,253 110,372 4,136 745 9,881 4,003 9,5982012 ............................ 668,957 189,909 37,370 45,066 121,614 139,741 106,268 4,081 739 9,687 3,824 9,6602013 ............................ 664,055 189,569 39,506 41,745 121,530 140,894 102,186 3,965 703 9,463 3,666 9,7102014 ............................ 661,069 190,224 41,554 37,891 122,086 142,626 98,435 3,868 688 9,164 3,506 9,7472015 ............................ 656,847 190,114 43,141 34,514 123,037 143,920 94,279 3,741 665 8,978 3,344 9,7042016 ............................ 654,127 190,835 44,744 31,308 122,966 145,891 90,919 3,660 652 8,695 3,187 9,7092017 ............................ 648,277 190,301 46,180 27,990 122,050 146,850 87,817 3,528 623 8,478 3,037 9,7082018 ............................ 641,470 189,571 47,436 25,059 120,222 147,708 84,710 3,378 604 8,232 2,903 9,7602019 ............................ 633,742 188,372 48,475 22,552 117,831 148,163 81,959 3,277 576 7,957 2,743 9,764AVERAGE AMOUNT2010 ............................ ......... $2,186 $1,954 $2,419 $42 $817 $1,329 $1,108 $1,643 $937 $896 $8802011 ............................ ......... 2,244 1,995 2,437 42 839 1,366 1,133 1,663 941 907 8922012 ............................ ......... 2,363 2,098 2,526 42 882 1,426 1,181 1,700 980 956 9382013 ............................ ......... 2,451 2,180 2,574 42 915 1,476 1,217 1,757 1,006 986 9742014 ............................ ......... 2,536 2,252 2,613 42 946 1,525 1,250 1,798 1,027 1,005 1,0052015 ............................ ......... 2,625 2,322 2,663 42 975 1,576 1,285 1,835 1,055 1,036 1,0402016 ............................ ......... 2,675 2,358 2,675 42 991 1,618 1,307 1,883 1,066 1,050 1,0552017 ............................ ......... 2,731 2,401 2,691 42 1,008 1,664 1,326 1,878 1,078 1,071 1,0782018 ............................ ......... 2,817 2,474 2,746 42 1,035 1,721 1,367 1,902 1,110 1,114 1,1182019 ............................ ......... 2,912 2,564 2,822 42 1,065 1,780 1,401 1,942 1,157 1,152 1,168

1 Includes annuities to parents and, beginning in fiscal year 2008, partition payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased or not otherwise entitled

 to an annuity. On September 30, 2019, there were 23 parents' annuities in current-payment status averaging $983 and 2,050 partition payments averaging $321.2 A disability annuity ends when the retiree attains full retirement age, at which time the annuity converts to an age and service annuity. Consequently, these annuitants are receiving age and service annuities. Full retirement age gradually increases, from age 65 to 67, for those born between 1937 and 1960. It is age 67 for those born after 1959 and age 65 for those born before 1938.

3 Excludes partition payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased. Averages are after court-ordered partitions.4 Numbers include annuities temporarily being paid at spouse annuity rates, pending final adjudication of survivor annuities. 5 Includes annuities to disabled widow(er)s age 60 and over now payable as aged widow(er)s' annuities. 

Table 5.--Number and average amount of retirement and survivor annuities in current-payment status at end of year,

by type of annuitant and fiscal year, 2010-2019

Fiscal year
52 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Retired employees Spouses and Widowed Supple- divorced Aged Disabled mothers Remarried Divorced Total1 Age Disability mental2 spouses widow(er)s widow(er)s (fathers) Children widow(er)s widow(er)s NUMBER AWARDED 2010.......................... 40,191 10,712 3,161 7,319 11,256 6,163 189 99 429 157 702 2011.......................... 39,647 10,542 3,086 7,087 11,301 6,053 173 110 417 158 718 2012.......................... 38,649 10,054 2,858 6,778 11,479 5,828 181 115 454 164 734 2013.......................... 38,094 10,211 2,324 6,502 11,444 5,995 164 111 456 146 739 2014.......................... 37,294 10,210 1,800 6,673 11,495 5,582 133 111 398 144 745 20153........................ 36,316 10,059 1,686 6,194 11,300 5,546 120 99 462 151 696 2016......................... 35,950 10,236 1,682 5,910 11,373 5,319 123 94 380 116 715 2017......................... 33,540 9,121 1,562 5,178 10,758 5,484 86 86 390 127 746 2018......................... 31,795 8,665 1,662 4,155 10,459 5,411 78 94 379 123 766 2019......................... 28,997 7,663 1,767 3,294 9,799 5,036 100 88 394 107 748 Cumulative 1937-2019 5,332,617 1,548,813 532,099 535,314 1,253,182 1,067,369 19,312 85,779 240,345 16,453 30,393 AVERAGE AMOUNT

2010......................... ........ $2,786 $2,509 $41 $950 $1,740 $1,536 $1,778 $1,203 $1,064 $9632011......................... ........ 2,814 2,524 41 958 1,789 1,531 1,779 1,194 1,077 9912012......................... ........ 2,888 2,585 41 981 1,859 1,515 1,647 1,220 1,130 1,0492013......................... ........ 2,921 2,565 41 1,003 1,911 1,503 1,916 1,332 1,161 1,1042014......................... ........ 3,041 2,624 41 1,024 1,985 1,615 1,874 1,294 1,151 1,0952015......................... ........ 3,114 2,611 41 1,055 2,031 1,685 1,728 1,302 1,153 1,1752016......................... ........ 3,124 2,667 41 1,062 2,096 1,677 2,034 1,371 1,166 1,1742017......................... ........ 3,159 2,723 41 1,047 2,113 1,752 1,806 1,368 1,189 1,2092018......................... ........ 3,188 2,775 41 1,054 2,188 1,864 1,864 1,386 1,270 1,2222019......................... ........ 3,173 2,880 41 1,057 2,299 1,563 1,940 1,487 1,249 1,271

Table 6.--Number and average amount of retirement and survivor annuities awarded during year, by type of annuitant and fiscal year, 2010-2019

Fiscal year

1 Excludes partition payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased or not otherwise entitled to an annuity. Includes annuities to parents. 

Fiscal year 2019 total includes 1 parent annuity of $1,229. Cumulative total includes 3,558 annuities to parents.

2 Excludes partition payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased. Averages are after court-ordered partitions.3 Supplemental annuity awards exclude more than 1,000 restorations due to Legal Opinion 2014-2, Reductions to Supplemental Annuities for 401(k) Distributions.NOTE.--Cumulative figures reflect adjustments not made in yearly data, but average amounts for each year include effects of changes in rates made by the end of the year. 
 

StatisticalTables 53

Total1 Retirement benefits2 Survivor benefits

 Monthly Monthly Monthly

State3 Number amount Number amount Number amount

Alabama................................................................................................ 11,500 $19,455 9,500 $16,042 2,000 $3,409Alaska.................................................................................................. 200 299 200 241 (4) 58Arizona................................................................................................ 12,000 20,196 9,900 16,902 2,000 3,275

Arkansas......................................................................... 12,200 20,384 10,300 17,221 1,900 3,145

California............................................................................................30,500 49,260 25,000 40,799 5,300 8,434Colorado............................................................................................. 10,600 18,563 9,100 16,139 1,500 2,414Connecticut.................................................................................... 2,900 5,963 2,400 5,080 500 882Delaware................................................................................................ 3,000 5,467 2,600 4,818 400 647Washington DC.............................................................................. 400 636 300 570 100 66Florida................................................................................................ 35,500 60,429 29,900 51,621 5,500 8,772Georgia................................................................................................ 21,000 35,936 17,700 30,465 3,200 5,460Hawaii................................................................................................200 272 200 233 (4) 39Idaho................................................................................................5,600 9,626 4,800 8,150 800 1,466Illinois.............................................................................................38,600 64,301 32,000 53,589 6,500 10,661Indiana................................................................................................ 18,500 31,163 15,200 25,697 3,200 5,442Iowa.................................................................................................... 11,100 18,774 9,300 15,787 1,700 2,967Kansas................................................................................................ 16,600 28,845 14,000 24,467 2,500 4,364Kentucky............................................................................................. 16,900 27,596 13,900 22,493 3,000 5,088Louisiana..........................................................................................8,900 14,810 7,300 12,211 1,600 2,594Maine................................................................................................... 2,700 4,193 2,200 3,372 500 820Maryland............................................................................................. 10,200 17,267 8,500 14,690 1,700 2,571Massachusetts.............................................................................. 4,500 7,720 3,800 6,585 700 1,132Michigan............................................................................................. 15,400 25,373 12,600 20,679 2,800 4,669Minnesota.......................................................................................... 16,400 27,137 13,600 22,757 2,700 4,359Mississippi.................................................................................... 6,800 11,087 5,500 8,995 1,300 2,089Missouri............................................................................................. 23,100 38,501 19,400 32,617 3,500 5,856Montana................................................................................................ 7,400 12,813 6,400 11,026 1,000 1,779Nebraska............................................................................................. 18,900 35,381 16,700 31,459 2,100 3,902Nevada................................................................................................. 3,900 6,498 3,300 5,487 600 1,006New Hampshire.............................................................................. 1,000 1,772 900 1,483 200 288New Jersey....................................................................................... 10,000 19,002 8,200 16,108 1,800 2,892New Mexico.......................................................................................4,900 8,213 4,000 6,772 900 1,432New York............................................................................................. 23,500 43,367 19,300 36,709 4,200 6,646North Carolina........................................................................... 12,000 19,322 9,700 15,962 2,200 3,351North Dakota................................................................................. 3,900 6,898 3,300 5,761 600 1,132See footnotes at end of table.

Table 7.--Retirement and survivor benefits in current-payment status on September 30, 2019, by class and state (amounts in thousands)
54 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board Monthly Monthly Monthly State3 Number amount Number amount Number amount Ohio.................................................................................................27,500 $44,310 21,900 $35,350 5,500 $8,937 Oklahoma............................................................................................. 5,900 9,791 4,800 7,987 1,100 1,797 Oregon................................................................................................ 9,100 14,895 7,600 12,340 1,500 2,537 Pennsylvania.................................................................................35,700 60,585 28,700 49,379 6,900 11,186 Rhode Island................................................................................ 700 1,268 600 1,091 100 177 South Carolina........................................................................... 8,400 14,152 7,000 11,906 1,400 2,238 South Dakota.................................................................................2,200 3,835 2,000 3,358 300 475 Tennessee.......................................................................................... 14,800 24,755 12,300 20,690 2,500 4,050 Texas.................................................................................................. 42,500 74,776 35,300 63,067 6,800 11,627 Utah................................................................................................... 6,000 10,421 5,000 8,750 900 1,664 Vermont................................................................................................ 800 1,157 600 921 200 237 Virginia............................................................................................. 18,800 31,889 15,300 26,525 3,400 5,352 Washington....................................................................................... 12,700 21,482 10,500 17,683 2,200 3,788 West Virginia.............................................................................. 9,100 15,280 7,300 12,248 1,800 3,025 Wisconsin.......................................................................................... 11,500 18,778 9,600 15,691 1,900 3,074

Wyoming................................................................................................ 4,800 8,886 4,200 7,923 500 955Outside United States:Canada................................................................................................. 2,000 1,264 1,400 678 600 586Mexico................................................................................................. 200 180 100 67 100 113Other.................................................................................................600 721 400 493 200 227 Total5............................................................................................................................................................... 633,700 $1,074,955 525,400 $899,144 106,300 $175,154

Table 7.--Retirement and survivor benefits in current-payment status on September 30, 2019, by class and state (amounts in thousands) - Continued

Total1 Retirement benefits2 Survivor benefits

1 Includes 2,050 partition payments to spouses and divorced spouses where the employee is deceased or not otherwise entitled to an annuity. 2 Includes 117,800 supplemental annuities to employees receiving regular annuities. In a relatively small number of cases, employees were also receiving spouse or widow(er)'s benefits.3 State of residence of beneficiary on September 30, 2019.4 Less than 50.5 Includes beneficiaries whose state of residence was unknown.NOTE.--Retirement benefits include regular and supplemental employee annuities, spouse annuities and divorced spouse annuities. Survivor benefits include annuities to aged and disabled widow(er)s, widowed mothers and fathers, remarried and divorced widow(er)s, children, parents, and widow(er)s annuities temporarily being paid at spouse annuity rates pending final adjudication of survivor annuities. Benefit amounts exclude social security payments to dual beneficiaries.
 

StatisticalTables 55

Table 8.-- Principal administrative data for the unemployment and sickness benefit programs, 

benefit years 2014-2015 through 2018-2019, cash basis

Item 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019

Qualified employees................................. 248,200 254,200 260,700 242,100 235,400Maximum daily benefit rate...................... $70 $72 $72 $72 $77

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS1

Gross amount of benefits paid (thousands) $33,873 $75,337 $59,888 $42,588 $37,994Payments: Number................................................... 52,100 112,300 90,000 63,000 52,300 Average amount per two week claim period......................................... $578 $591 $594 $601 $644Beneficiaries............................................... 7,600 16,400 13,200 9,300 7,900Applications received................................ 11,500 24,100 16,800 12,500 12,200Claims received.......................................... 62,500 137,000 108,100 75,500 63,000Normal benefit accounts exhausted........ 1,900 3,300 3,100 2,100 1,700Non-compensable waiting period only2.. (3) (3) (3) (3) (3)

SICKNESS BENEFITS1

Gross amount of benefits paid (thousands) $66,950 $73,892 $77,075 $77,346 $73,492Payments: Number................................................... 102,700 109,700 114,400 115,000 102,100 Average amount per two week claim period......................................... $572 $592 $597 $597 $638Beneficiaries............................................... 15,500 16,000 16,100 15,700 14,400Applications received................................ 19,400 19,800 20,100 19,600 17,900Claims received.......................................... 121,300 129,200 133,800 133,700 119,600Normal benefit accounts exhausted........ 2,800 3,100 3,400 3,500 3,000Non-compensable waiting period only2.. 100 (3) (3) (3) (3)

1 In accordance with the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, amounts reflect a reduction of 9.2% under sequestration for

days of unemployment and sickness after February 28, 2013, 7.2% for days after September 30, 2013, 7.3% for days after September 30, 2014, 6.8% for daysafter September 30, 2015, 6.9% for days after September 30, 2016, 6.6% for days after September 30, 2017, and 6.2% for days after September 30, 2018.

2 Benefits are payable for each day of unemployment or sickness in excess of 7 during the first 14-day registration period in a benefit year.3 Less than 50.NOTE.--In Annual Reports through 2019, information on this table, with respect to benefits paid, was reported on a net basis. Beginning with this year’s report, these amounts are now shown on a gross basis.
Table 9.--All employees, new entrants, employees qualified for RUIA benefits, and related data, by employer, 2018

All employees New entrants Creditable Compensation (thousands)

With

With 12 months sufficient Qualified Qualified

of service service for for RUIA for RUIA

Type or name of employer Total in 2018 RRA annuity benefits Total benefits Tier I Tier II RUIA

TYPE OF EMPLOYER Class I line-haul railroads................................................ 164,806 129,947 125,197 156,021 13,961 8,234 $13,131,771 $12,211,717 $2,769,960Non-Class I line-haul railroads and switching & terminal companies................................. 23,533 16,972 15,036 20,975 2,754 1,374 1,400,868 1,345,618 364,956Commuter railroads1................................................ 50,456 41,093 36,624 48,728 3,233 2,090 4,148,078 3,764,907 868,479Car-loan companies......................................................... 2,543 1,505 1,230 2,244 494 253 150,572 144,768 39,390Labor organizations......................................................... 2,394 1,742 1,691 1,939 229 70 185,553 156,829 34,048Miscellaneous employers2....................................... 4,998 3,833 2,916 4,700 477 318 391,688 348,008 81,960 Total 248,730 195,092 182,694 234,607 21,148 12,339 $19,408,531 $17,971,847 $4,158,792SELECTED EMPLOYERS BNSF Railway Co............................................................. 47,833 38,259 34,589 45,428 5,037 3,166 $4,075,693 $3,719,430 $813,434Canadian National, U.S. Operations Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad Co........................ 67 57 50 67 ..... ..... 5,165 5,092 1,206

 Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad Co.................. 308 249 216 293 30 17 25,770 23,610 5,243

 Grand Trunk Western Railroad Co............................. 842 654 591 822 69 56 75,458 67,995 14,353

 Illinois Central Railroad Co......................................... 4,479 3,405 3,138 4,295 475 326 377,230 342,872 74,967

 Pittsburgh and Conneaut Dock Co............................ 34 24 19 33 ..... ..... 1,673 1,673 574

 Wisconsin Central Transportation Corp.................... 2,550 1,965 1,627 2,424 264 176 214,228 200,151 42,948

Canadian Pacific, Soo Line Corporation Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corp............ 800 597 536 745 113 82 55,513 53,221 12,668

 Delaware and Hudson Railway Co. Inc...................... 220 179 178 211 9 7 15,520 15,080 3,743

 Soo Line Railroad Co.................................................. 2,337 1,796 1,715 2,200 237 146 191,625 171,811 38,303

CSX Transportation Inc................................................... 23,072 18,315 20,483 22,074 311 138 1,894,773 1,767,983 386,438Kansas City Southern Railway Co................................. 3,123 2,565 2,257 2,971 244 151 247,961 230,766 53,280

 Gateway Eastern Railway Co...................................... 6 1 5 6 ..... ..... 434 425 97

 Texas Mexican Railway Co.......................................... 266 185 166 240 55 32 21,318 19,253 4,223

National Railroad Passenger Corp. (Amtrak)................ 21,345 17,030 15,277 20,579 1,310 800 1,618,841 1,507,842 364,837Norfolk Southern Corp.................................................... 29,830 22,938 22,248 27,715 2,917 1,420 2,180,851 2,055,545 492,222

Union Pacific Railroad Co............................................... 49,039 38,758 37,379 46,497 4,200 2,517 3,748,559 3,536,810 826,260

1 Includes National Railroad Passenger Corp. (Amtrak).2 Includes lessor companies, employer associations and miscellaneous carrier affiliates.NOTE.--Tier I compensation excludes miscellaneous compensation taxable at the tier I tax rate.

56 2020 Annual Report, U.S. Railroad Retirement Board
U.S. Railroad Retirement Board

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