Railway employees bonus payments equivalent to 78 days of wages have been approved for 1,140,770 non-gazetted railway employees, with the Union Cabinet clearing an outlay of Rs 2,009.61 crore for the 2025-26 financial year.
The decision was taken by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while briefing reporters on the Cabinet decisions. Eligible employees will receive the Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) before the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays, as has been the practice each year.
The approved amount works out to Rs 17,951 for each eligible railway employee for 78 days. The payment will cover staff categories including track maintainers, locomotive pilots, train managers or guards, station masters, supervisors, technicians, technician helpers, pointsmen, ministerial staff and other Group C employees, according to the announcement reported by Aaj Tak Business.
The government described the payment as recognition of the performance of railway staff during 2025-26. The PLB is also intended to provide an incentive for employees working towards improving railway performance. The announcement did not provide a separate category-wise breakdown of the beneficiaries or explain whether individual payments would vary beyond the stated amount for eligible employees.
The bonus is significant for the railways because the affected workforce includes staff involved in train operations, track maintenance, station management, locomotive working and other frontline and support functions. These roles are directly connected to the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the rail network used by passengers and freight users across the country.
The Cabinet approval comes alongside decisions on rural welfare programmes. The government also approved continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme from 2026-27 to 2030-31 with a total outlay of Rs 53,428 crore. That decision includes changes to the name of the scheme and its sub-schemes, revisions to eligibility, coverage and assistance rates for Divyangjan pensions, and continuation of pension schemes for older people and widows and the family benefit scheme in their existing form.
For railway employees, the immediate next step is the release of the 78-day PLB before the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays. The approved payment covers 1,140,770 eligible employees and has a total financial value of Rs 2,009.61 crore.
