Cabinet approves productivity-linked bonus for 10.9 lakh railway employees
New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has cleared a productivity-linked bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days’ wages for railway employees. The decision will benefit 10.9 lakh non-gazetted staff, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Wednesday.
According to a government statement, the total bonus payout amounts to Rs 1,886 crore. “The prime minister has approved the productivity-linked bonus equivalent to 78 days of wages. The decision will benefit 10.9 lakh employees,” Vaishnaw said.
The annual PLB is released ahead of the Durga Puja and Dussehra festivals. This year, the maximum payable amount stands at Rs 17,951 per eligible employee. Beneficiaries include track maintainers, loco pilots, train managers (guards), station masters, supervisors, technicians, helpers, pointsmen, ministerial staff and other Group ‘C’ employees.
The official release noted that the payment acts as an incentive, encouraging employees to contribute to the Railways’ performance. It added, “This year also, PLB amount equivalent to 78 days’ wages is being paid to about 10.91 lakh non-gazetted railway employees.”
Officials highlighted the Railways’ strong performance in 2024-25, recording a cargo loading of 1,614.90 million tonnes and transporting nearly 7.3 billion passengers, both among the highest achievements in recent years.
