Prepared by Public Affairs 312-751-4777

The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) announced that it will begin phasing in nationwide toll-free telephone service starting in late November 2008. 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.

Twelve of the RRB’s 53 field offices will participate in the initial implementation of nationwide toll-free telephone service. The 12 field offices are 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. Altogether, these 12 offices serve some 130,000 retired employees, spouses, and survivors and some 50,000 active rail employees.

Nationwide toll-free telephone service will be available in additional RRB field locations after the initial implementation phase has been completed. Until then, RRB customers who reside outside of the service areas covered by these initial 12 offices should continue to use the telephone number for the field office providing service to their area by calling the automated RRB Help Line at 1-800-808-0772 or by looking online at www.rrb.gov. The new toll-free service is scheduled to be implemented nationwide in all RRB field offices by March 2009.

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