Quick answer
Yes. The Union Cabinet on 14 October 2026 approved a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) of 78 days’ wages for 2025-26 to 11,40,770 non-gazetted railway employees, at a cost of ₹2,009.61 crore. The maximum an eligible employee gets is ₹17,951, and the Railway Board issued the payment order (RBE No. 84/2026) the same day. Confirmed (PIB)
Key points
- Bonus: 78 days’ wages for financial year 2025-26, same as last year.
- Who gets it: about 11.41 lakh (11,40,770) non-gazetted railway employees; RPF and RPSF personnel are excluded.
- Total cost: ₹2,009.61 crore, as per the PIB release of 14 October 2026.
- Maximum amount: ₹17,951 per eligible employee, because PLB is worked out on a wage ceiling of ₹7,000 a month.
- Payment: before the Durga Puja / Dussehra holidays, paid in the same mode as salary on a priority basis.
What the Cabinet approved
The PIB release says the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi “approved payment of PLB of 78 days for Rs.2009.61 crore to 11,40,770 railway employees, in recognition of the excellent performance by the Railway staff.” Confirmed It adds that the maximum amount payable per eligible employee is ₹17,951 for 78 days, and that PLB is paid every year before the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays.
The government linked the bonus to the Railways’ 2025-26 performance: a record 1,670 million tonnes of cargo loaded and nearly 7.41 billion passengers carried. Confirmed
Railway Board order: RBE No. 84/2026
The Railway Board’s order No. E(P&A)II/2026/PLB-1 dated 14.10.2026 (RBE No. 84/2026), as circulated by railway unions, puts the decision into effect: Railway Board order
- PLB equal to 78 days’ wages is sanctioned without any ceiling on wages for eligibility, but where wages exceed ₹7,000 a month, the bonus is calculated as if wages were ₹7,000 a month.
- Employees who were not suspended, did not quit, retire or die during 2025-26, and were not on leave with reduced leave salary get the flat ₹17,951. Others get a bonus worked out under existing instructions.
- State Railway Provident Fund subscribers may deposit all or part of the bonus in their SRPF account if they wish.
- Payment is to be made in the same mode as salary, on priority.
Who is eligible
| Category | PLB 2025-26? |
|---|---|
| Non-gazetted (Group C) staff: track maintainers, loco pilots, train managers (guards), station masters, supervisors, technicians, technician helpers, pointsmen, ministerial staff | Yes, as named in the PIB release |
| Staff who served the full year with no suspension or reduced leave salary | Yes, flat ₹17,951 |
| Staff who retired, quit, died or were suspended during 2025-26, or were on leave with reduced pay | Yes, but worked out under existing Railway Board rules |
| RPF and RPSF personnel | No, excluded by the order |
| Gazetted officers | No, PLB covers non-gazetted staff only |
How the ₹17,951 is calculated: worked example
PLB uses a notional wage of ₹7,000 a month, whatever the employee’s actual pay. Under the 7th CPC the lowest basic pay is ₹18,000, so in practice every eligible employee is capped at ₹7,000. The arithmetic below reproduces the official figure: Our calculation
| Step | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Monthly wage for PLB | Ceiling | ₹7,000 |
| 2. Daily wage | ₹7,000 × 12 ÷ 365 | ₹230.14 |
| 3. Bonus for 78 days | ₹230.14 × 78 | ₹17,950.68 |
| 4. Rounded | To the nearest rupee | ₹17,951 |
So a Level 1 track maintainer and a Level 7 station master both get the same ₹17,951 for a full year’s service. By comparison, the 30-day ad-hoc (non-PLB) bonus for other central government employees on the same ₹7,000 ceiling is ₹6,908 for 2025-26.
For someone who served only part of the year, the order says the amount follows existing instructions, so check the exact figure with your accounts office rather than relying on a rough pro-rata estimate.
When will the bonus be paid?
PIB says PLB is paid every year before the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays, and the Railway Board has told zones to pay it on priority in the same mode as salary. Confirmed In practice most zones credit it within days of the order, either with a separate payment or alongside salary. Reported
Unions want a higher ceiling; beware of fake letters
Several railway unions have asked for the ₹7,000 ceiling, unchanged for years, to be revised in line with 7th CPC pay; some have protested that the bonus does not reflect actual wages. Reported There is no decision on that. A fake “Railway Board letter” claiming a bonus of ₹41,149 also circulated in October 2026 and was called fabricated. Reported Rely only on the PIB release and RBE No. 84/2026.
Last year’s railway bonus
The amount is the same as for 2024-25, when the Railway Board paid 78 days’ PLB of ₹17,951 under RBE No. 101/2025 dated 24.09.2025. See our Railway PLB 2024-25 post.
Related tools and updates
- DA hike tracker: DA from 1 July 2026 is still pending; the current rate is 60%.
- 7th and 8th CPC salary calculator: check your monthly pay.
- Ad-hoc bonus 2025-26 for central government employees: the 30-day bonus for non-railway staff.
The worked example is our calculation for illustration. Your pay office credits the actual amount.
Source: PIB, “Cabinet approves Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) for 78 days to Railway Employees”, 14 October 2026 (pib.gov.in, Release ID 2323256); Railway Board RBE No. 84/2026, No. E(P&A)II/2026/PLB-1 dated 14.10.2026.
Last updated: 16 October 2026
Railway bonus 2025-26: FAQs
How many days of bonus will railway employees get for 2025-26?
78 days’ wages, approved by the Union Cabinet on 14 October 2026 and ordered by the Railway Board in RBE No. 84/2026.
What is the maximum railway bonus amount for 2025-26?
₹17,951 per eligible employee. It is calculated on a wage ceiling of ₹7,000 a month: ₹7,000 × 12 ÷ 365 × 78 = ₹17,951 (rounded).
How many railway employees will get the PLB?
11,40,770 non-gazetted railway employees, at a total cost of ₹2,009.61 crore, according to the PIB release.
Do RPF and RPSF personnel get the railway PLB?
No. The Railway Board order excludes all RPF and RPSF personnel.
When will the railway bonus 2025-26 be paid?
Before the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays. The Railway Board has asked zones to pay it on priority in the same mode as salary.
