The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) of Rs 1,866 crore for railway employees. Over 10.90 lakh staff across India will benefit from the payout.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the bonus, equal to 78 days’ wages, rewards railway staff for their hard work in ensuring smooth operations and improving efficiency. The maximum PLB for each eligible employee is Rs 17,951.

The bonus will cover track maintainers, loco pilots, train managers, station masters, supervisors, technicians, pointsmen, ministerial staff, and other Group ‘C’ employees.

The Cabinet noted that Railways performed very well in 2024-25, carrying 7.3 billion passengers and a record cargo of 1,614.90 million tonnes. Last year, a similar bonus of Rs 2,029 crore was given to over 11.7 lakh staff.

Vaishnaw also announced that the Vande Bharat Sleeper trains will be launched soon. The first train has cleared all tests and is at Delhi’s Shakur Basti Depot, while the second will be ready by mid-October.

The trains, built by BEML with Integral Coach Factory technology, will have 16 AC coaches and a top speed of 180 kmph, carrying up to 1,128 passengers.