The Union Cabinet has approved a Productivity Linked Bonus equivalent to 78 days’ wages for 11,40,770 eligible railway employees, involving a total payout of ₹2,009.61 crore.
New Delhi, October 14 — The Union Cabinet has approved the payment of a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days’ wages for 11,40,770 railway employees, with the total financial outgo estimated at ₹2,009.61 crore.
The government said the bonus is being paid in recognition of the strong performance of railway employees during the year and is intended to motivate staff to continue contributing to improved operational performance.
The PLB is traditionally paid to eligible railway employees every year before the Durga Puja and Dussehra festive period. This year as well, around 11.40 lakh non-gazetted railway employees will receive the benefit.
The maximum amount payable to each eligible employee is ₹17,951 for the 78-day bonus period.
The payment will cover several categories of railway staff, including track maintainers, loco pilots, train managers, station masters, supervisors, technicians, technician helpers, pointsmen, ministerial employees and other Group C staff.
The government said Indian Railways delivered a strong operational performance during 2025-26, loading a record 1,670 million tonnes of freight during the year.
Railways also carried nearly 7.41 billion passengers during the same period, underlining the scale of both passenger and freight operations handled by the network.
The bonus approval comes ahead of the festive season and is expected to provide additional financial support to a large section of railway employees while recognising their contribution to the network’s overall performance.
