New Delhi, Oct. 14 -- The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days' wages for 11,40,770 railway employees, with a total payout of Rs 2,009.61 crore, recognising their contribution to railway operations during 2025-26. The annual bonus, announced ahead of the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays, will benefit eligible non-gazetted employees across several categories.
The maximum bonus payable to an eligible employee is Rs 17,951 for the 78-day period. Beneficiaries include track maintainers, loco pilots, train managers, station masters, supervisors, technicians, technician helpers, pointsmen, ministerial staff and other Group C employees.
The government said the payment serves as an incentive for railway personnel to improve operational performance. It added that the Railways had delivered a strong performance in 2025-26, loading a record 1,670 million tonnes of cargo and carrying nearly 7.41 billion passengers.
Compared with last year, the bonus outlay has increased by Rs 143.93 crore, or around 7.7 per cent. The number of beneficiaries has also risen by approximately 49,624, an increase of about 4.5 per cent.
In September 2025, the Cabinet approved a similar 78-day bonus worth Rs 1,865.68 crore for 10,91,146 railway employees. The maximum payment per eligible employee remains unchanged at Rs 17,951.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.