The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the payment of Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days' wages to railway employees for the financial year 2025-26. The total bonus amount of ₹2009.61 crore will be distributed to 11,40,770 non-gazetted railway employees across various categories including track maintainers, loco pilots, train managers (guards), station masters, supervisors, technicians, technician helpers, pointsman, ministerial staff and other Group 'C' staff. The maximum amount payable per eligible employee is ₹17,951 for the 78-day period.
This annual payment is traditionally made before the Durga Puja/Dusshera holidays and serves as an incentive to motivate railway employees toward improving operational performance. The bonus recognition follows an excellent performance year for Indian Railways in 2025-26, during which the organization loaded a record cargo of 1670 million tonnes and carried nearly 7.41 billion passengers, demonstrating significant operational achievements.
The PLB system is designed to reward productivity and performance improvements within the railway network, which remains one of India's largest employers and critical infrastructure assets. The timing of the payment before major festivals serves both as recognition of past performance and motivation for continued operational excellence in the railway sector.