Members who receive railroad retirement benefits will notice an increase that’s set to take effective in January 2026.
The change is due to a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from Q3 of 2024 and 2025.
Increases are factored into the Tier I and Tier II portions of a railroad retirement annuity. The Tier 1 portion will go up by 2.8%, which is the same percentage as the CPI increase. The Tier II portion is set to go up by 0.9%.
Starting in January 2026, the average railroad retirement employee annuity will increase $80 a month ($3,636) and combined annuities for an employee and spouse will increase $112 a month ($5,249). The last increase took place in January 2025.
Widowed spouses who are eligible will see an increase of $50 a month ($2,109). However, if annuities are paid under the Railroad Retirement and Survivors’ Improvement Act of 2001, annual cost-of-living adjustments will not go into effect until the annuity amount is surpassed by the amount that would have been paid under prior law.
If you receive railroad retirement benefits, keep an eye out for a notice from the RRB in late December that includes a breakdown of the annuity rates payable in January 2026. For more information, click here.
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