SBI Railway Salary Package & How to Open Account

Which is the first bank that comes to mind when we talk of safe and fast banking? For most people, it would be one of the leading banks in India- SBI!

SBI offers salary packages for various sectors—Corporate/institutions, Central Government, State Government, Indian Railways, Defence Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, Police Forces, and Post Guard. SBI has a unique offering for Indian Railways employees called the railway salary package. 

The railway salary package in SBI is a savings scheme run by the largest PSU bank, State Bank Of India, for the benefit of both the employer and employee across the different railway zone in India. The basic structure of the scheme is divided into four parts: Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Platinum, each offering a host of benefits, as discussed below in this article.

Read on to learn all the details regarding the SBI Railway Salary Package!

SBI Salary Railway Package Accounts: A Brief History

The State Bank of India launched the special SBI railway salary package accounts at the Hubli Main Branch, Keshwapur, Hubli, in 2012. At the special launch event, Mr. A.K. Brahmo, Chief Personnel Officer of South Western Railway, spoke about the SBI railway salary package and stated that the State Bank of India and Indian Railways are India's two biggest employers in India.

While the State Bank of India has branches spread domestically and globally, the Indian Railways is the fourth-largest railway in the world. And India is still fourth on the list for having the largest railway network in the world. An average of 3.32 metric tons of freight and 22.15 million people were transported between 2019 and 2020 alone. In 2022, India railways ranked in the eighth spot for having the largest employers in the world. Therefore, there are a huge number of people for whom this account has been beneficial.

An Overview of SBI Railway Salary Accounts

The primary benefit of having a railway salary package account in SBI is that it will speed up the process of getting your salary credited to your account, which could take up to an extra day with other bank accounts. It also simplifies reconciling as you use your employer's salary bank account.

According to Deputy General Manager, Administrative Unit, SBI, Hubli, Mr. B. Venugopal, people working in Indian railways and drawing salaries from the State Bank of India can enjoy extended privileges.

The employees can enjoy the following facilities when opening an SBI railway salary package account:

• Zero balance account: There is no need to maintain any minimum average balance on your salary savings account. This is especially beneficial for the people who come under the 'SILVER' category, as the withdrawal threshold was crucial for them.
• Free debit card: SBI charges INR 150 + GST of 18% on regular savings accounts. The debit cards supplied under the salary account are free of cost. It has many privileges, including free airport lounge access and personal accidental cover.
• Auto sweep functionality: You can now convert the surplus funds from your savings account into an FD attracting higher interest rates than the savings account interest rate. 
• Unlimited ATM transactions at other ATMs: This is an important benefit given by SBI to salary account holders. In a regular savings account, there is a limit to the number of ATM withdrawals, while for salary account holders, it's unlimited. 
• Simple NEFT and RTGS clearance: For online NEFT transactions, there are no fees.

Let's read about the different variants of the Railway Salary Package and who can avail of them in the section below!

Variants of Railway Salary Packages (RSP)

There are four variants of SBI railway salary packages offered by SBI to working employees of Indian Railways: Mumbai Metro, Kolkata Metro, Konkan Railways, Delhi Metro, and Bangalore Metro. 

The four variants available to railway employees are Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Platinum, which depend on the individual's designation. 

1. Silver: For a monthly salary ranging from INR 10,000 to INR 25,000. The posts such as gangman, peons, and clerks occupy this category.
2. Gold: For a monthly salary ranging from INR 25,000 to INR 50,000. Posts such as office supervisors, scale officers, and office superintendents occupy this category. 
3. Diamond: For a monthly salary earning INR 50,000 but only up to INR 1 lakh. The posts, such as grade officers and heads of departments occupy this category. 
4. Platinum: This SBI railway salary package account applies for a monthly salary above INR 1 lakh. The posts such as principal HOD, railway board members, and general manager occupies this category. 

The Benefits of the SBI Railway Salary Package Account for Employers

Following are some of the most prominent benefits which employers can enjoy under the SBI Railway Salary Package:

• It provides a more insightful unified dashboard where the employer can view the payment status of the employees working at different divisions.
• It lowers the paperwork and administrative costs for the employer.
• No additional salary administration charges are levied on the employer for crediting the salary in bulk.
• The salary can be credited instantly without a waiting period.

The Benefits of the SBI Railway Salary Package Account for Employees

Following are some of the most prominent benefits that employees can enjoy under the SBI Railway Salary Package:

• At the highest network of over 15000 core banking branches, employees will appreciate the convenience of the anywhere banking facility.
• A Free Core Service through which the users can avail of free money transfers between SBI branches and free passbook updates at any bank.
• Free mobile banking and online banking.
• Opening salary account at no fees and on a single visit window
• Systematic Investment Plan in Mutual Funds, RTGS/NEFT.
• International Platinum ATM Card Holders of Platinum Accounts and International Gold ATM Card Holders of Gold and Diamond Accounts receive complimentary Personal Accident Insurance coverage.
• In case of job transfers, the employee can still keep the same account number, so there are no salary credit issues.
• Free personalised Multi City Cheque Books.

Special Privileges To Employees (SBI Railway Salary Package Account Holders)

In addition to the basic features and benefits offered by the SBI Railway Salary Package to the employees, there are also quite a few special privileges. These are listed below:

• Free personal accident insurance with a maximum payout of INR 20 lakhs.
• Zero documentation loans: Taking a loan is a complex process involving numerous paper verification to establish the borrower's credibility. With the SBI railway salary package account, you can avail zero documentation loan along with a reduction of 50% in the processing fees. You will also get low rates on personal, home, car, and educational loans.
• Discount: A discount of up to 25% on locker charges.
• SBI Rishtey - Family Savings Account: For family members of SBI railway salary package customers with special benefits, including no minimum balance requirement, no issuance fees for ATM or Debit Cards, free SMS alerts, free demand draft issuance by debit to SBI Rishtey Account, and the availability of Auto Sweep.
• Free NEFT transactions: SBI RSP account holders can avail of free online NEFT transactions, which makes transferring money a hassle-free experience.
• Multi-Option Deposits (e-MODs): Employees can build Multi Option Deposits (e-MODs), earn more interest, and avail of Auto-sweep and create.
• Demat and Online Trading A/c: At the time of onboarding itself, employees can take advantage and open a demat account and online trading account.
• Earn points: With the SBI RewardZ platform, you can gain points every time you do a transaction involving your debit card. For every point earned on the SBI RewardZ platform, you can redeem an equivalent amount of 0.25 paise on any product offered on their website. This is especially beneficial if you love shopping frequently, as you can redeem loyalty points for some gifts.
• Frequent Discounts: SBI frequently gives discounts on debit cards and YONO.
• Overdraft: Simple overdraft facility equal to two months' net salary (available for selected customers only) and repayable over six months.
• Free Insurance Cover: In case of an employee's death because of a personal accident, the railway salary package in SBI has a benefit of INR 20 lakh. Besides this, in the event of the death of an employee in an air accident has a benefit of INR 30 lakh.
• Unlimited ATM Withdrawals: In a regular savings account, you can only make 5 withdrawals monthly without attracting extra charges. In metro cities, this limit is 3. This can pose a problem for people who like to keep their money parked in their savings account and withdraw only when needed at different times in a month. Hence as a holder of an SBI RSP account, you will benefit from unlimited ATM withdrawals.

Conversion of SBI Savings Bank Account To SBI Salary Package Account

You can easily convert your savings account into an SBI railway salary package account.

Documents Required For Conversion To Salary Account:

• KYC Documents
• Aadhaar copy
• Latest Salary Slip

The process to covert a regular savings account to a Salary Package Account in SBI:

1. Visit the home branch to request the salary account conversion form.
2. Fill out a simple form—your home address, A/c number, and signature.
3. Attach the relevant attested documents to the application form, and hand it in for processing.
4. You will receive an SMS in under 24 hours confirming the updated KYC details.
5. Through internet banking, you can check your savings account status.
6. If a part of your description reads out as RSP, your conversion to the SBI railway salary package account is successful.

Documents Required for SBI Railway Salary Package Account

If you want to open a new salary account, the process is very simple. You will need the following documents to verify your claim for the salary savings account. Make sure to attest these documents before attaching them to the application form for opening a new salary account.

1. Address Proof: Address proof is required to verify your address to get the facilities of the home branch.

• Aadhaar card
• Voter ID card
• Electricity bill
• Telephone bill
• Ration card
• Passport

2. Identity Proof: It is required to verify your identity, which will be put into the KYC and SBI banking system.

• Aadhaar card
• Ration Card
• Driving Licence
• Voter ID card
• PAN Card
• Passport

3. Income proof (For salaried employees): For opening a salary account, income proof is necessary to substantiate that you are getting regular salaries from the Indian Railways organisation.

• Last six months' pay slips 
• Bank statements

4. Income Proof (For self-employed)

• Office address proof
• Proof of business ownership
• Business continuity evidence
• Audited financials (not over two years old)
• Banking records (not over six months old)

Wrapping Up

The SBI railway salary package was made to simplify the overall banking process for the Indian Railways, one of the world's largest operational organisations. It provides a host of benefits over a regular savings account, reducing the hassles a person has to go through a regular banking process.

Some notable employee benefits include a 2-month overdraft advance, no minimum average requirement, free online NEFT transactions, and unlimited ATM withdrawals. These kinds of extended benefits let the Indian Railways employees work in peace as a trusted banking partner takes care of all their banking needs.

FAQs

What is the Auto Sweep Facility?

When your savings account balance reaches Rs. 35,000, you can use the Auto Sweep Facility to transfer your funds to a fixed deposit account to earn a higher income. The system automatically pre-closes the fixed deposit or a portion of it. It transfers the money to your SBI railway salary package account if the amount in the account does not honour a check or ATM withdrawal.

Which debit cards are provided for variants of SBI railway salary package accounts?

All SBI railway salary package customers receive free debit cards. Issuance of a debit card depends on the SBI railway salary package type in the following ways:

• Platinum Debit Card: An international platinum debit card for the SBI railway salary package account having a daily withdrawal cap of one lakh rupees (or its equivalent in another currency).
• Diamond Debit Card: A global gold debit card with a daily withdrawal cap of 50,000 rupees in the SBI railway salary package account (or its equivalent in another currency).
• Gold Debit Card: A global gold debit card with a daily withdrawal cap of Rs. 50,000 in the SBI railway salary package account  (or equivalent in another currency) is available.

Domestic Classic Debit Card has a daily withdrawal cap of Rs. 20,000 in silver.

Does SBI allow to upgrade from one variant to another?

Yes, The SBI branch may upgrade your SBI railway salary package account to the eligible variant, such as Gold to Diamond or Diamond to Platinum. After presenting proof of net salary (take-home salary) each month or a raise in your rank or designation, you can upgrade to a higher variant of the SBI railway salary package account.

How is the SBI Railways Salary Package different from a regular savings account?

Some notable differences between the two are as follows:

• The number of ATM withdrawals is limited in the regular savings account, while the salary account enjoys unlimited ATM withdrawals.
• The two-month overdraft facility is given in the salary account, while a regular savings account cannot avail of such a privilege.
• The loan rates processing fees are lower in salary accounts than in regular savings accounts.

What salary packages are given to Indian Railways employees under this scheme?

The segregation of the salary account is based on the designation of the post held by the employee. It is broadly categorised into four types: Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Platinum. 

Why should I open a railway salary account in SBI?

The main advantage of having a railway salary package account with SBI, or any salary account with the same bank as your employer, is that it will expedite the process of having your income credited to your account. With other bank accounts, this process could take up to an extra day. Utilising the salary bank account provided by your employer also makes reconciliation easier.

Opening an SBI railway salary package account will facilitate NEFT or RTGS. Additionally, they are quick and free, both of which are requirements in an organisation like the Indian Railways.