FRA Certification Helpline: (216) 694-0240

(The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board issued the following on January 12, 2009.)

CHICAGO — The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) announced that an additional 18 field offices will be added to its nationwide toll-free telephone service by the end of January 2009. A single toll-free number (1-877-772-5772/1-877-RRB-5RRB) will provide RRB customers with easy access to the agency’s field offices. In addition, the new toll-free number will offer options for self-service through automated menus and automatic routing of calls to claims representatives in nearby offices during emergency and peak periods.

The additional 18 offices are Kansas City and St. Louis, MO; Nashville, TN; Louisville, KY; Scranton, Harrisburg, Altoona, and Philadelphia, PA; Baltimore, MD; Denver, CO; Albuquerque, NM; Omaha, NE; Wichita, KS; Billings, MT; Portland, OR; Salt Lake City, UT; and Bellevue and Spokane, WA.

Twelve of the RRB’s 53 field offices participated in the initial implementation of nationwide toll-free telephone service during November and December 2008. Those 12 field offices were St. Paul and Duluth, MN; Fargo, ND; Des Moines, IA; Jacksonville and Tampa, FL; Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Oakland, Sacramento and Covina, CA; and Mesa, AZ.

Nationwide toll-free telephone service will be implemented in the remaining 23 RRB field locations by March 2009. Until then, RRB customers who reside outside of the service areas covered by these 30 offices should continue to use the telephone number for the field office providing service to their area. Customers can get these numbers by calling the automated RRB Help Line at 1-800-808-0772 or by visiting the RRB’s Web site at www.rrb.gov.