New Delhi, October 14, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved a productivity-linked bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days’ wages for 11,40,770 railway employees, involving a total payout of Rs. 2,009.61 crore.
The maximum bonus payable to each eligible railway employee will be Rs. 17,951 for 78 days, recognising the performance of railway staff, according to the Cabinet’s announcement.
The bonus will benefit employees across various categories, including track maintainers, loco pilots, train managers (guards), station masters, supervisors, technicians, technician helpers, pointsmen, ministerial staff and other Group C employees.
The Cabinet said productivity-linked bonus payments are made annually to eligible railway employees ahead of the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays.
“This year also, PLB amount equivalent to 78 days’ wages is being paid to about 11.40 lakh non-gazetted Railway employees. The payment of PLB acts as an incentive to motivate the railway employees for working towards improvement in the performance of the Railways,” the Cabinet statement said.
Railways Records 1,670 Million Tonnes of Freight Loading in FY26
Indian Railways recorded freight loading of 1,670 million tonnes in the 2025-26 financial year and carried nearly 7.41 billion passengers, according to the figures cited in the announcement.
The national transporter also reported an increase in freight and passenger traffic in August 2026.
Freight loading rose by 5.4 per cent year-on-year to 137.9 million tonnes in August, compared with 130.9 million tonnes in the corresponding month of 2025. Freight revenue increased by 6.27 per cent during the month, reflecting continued growth in rail-based goods transportation.
The increase in freight movement is expected to support supply chains by facilitating the transportation of essential commodities, raw materials and finished goods across regions.
Five New Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals Commissioned
Indian Railways also expanded its freight-handling infrastructure in August with the commissioning of five new Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals (GCTs).
The terminals are located at Shivlakha in Gujarat, Nalli in Tamil Nadu, Shaktinagar in Uttar Pradesh, Deoragram in Madhya Pradesh and Brajrajnagar in Odisha.
With these additions, the cumulative number of commissioned Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals reached 149 as of August 31, 2026.
Passenger Traffic Also Registers Growth
Passenger traffic continued to rise during August 2026. Indian Railways carried 67.27 crore passengers during the month, compared with 64.43 crore in August 2025.
The growth in both freight and passenger traffic highlights the continued demand for rail-based transportation across the country.
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