New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the payment of a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days’ wages for 11,40,770 eligible railway employees, involving a total outlay of Rs 2,009.61 crore.

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The bonus recognises the performance of railway employees during the year and is paid annually ahead of the Durga Puja and Dussehra festivals. The payment is also intended to motivate employees to improve the operational performance of Indian Railways.

The maximum PLB payable to an eligible employee for 78 days has been fixed at Rs 17,951.

Employees across various non-gazetted categories will receive the bonus, including track maintainers, loco pilots, train managers (guards), station masters, supervisors, technicians, technician helpers, pointsmen, ministerial staff and other Group C employees.

Indian Railways recorded strong operational performance in 2025-26, transporting a record 1,670 million tonnes of freight and carrying nearly 7.41 billion passengers.

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The annual bonus is intended to recognise the contribution of railway employees to freight transportation, passenger services and the overall functioning of the railway network.

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