Indian Railways is cracking down on passengers travelling without tickets. A special campaign is run to catch such travellers. The railway authorities have caught many offenders and imposed fines, leading to substantial revenue gains. In the first quarter of the financial year 2024-25, Indian Railways earned more than Rs 8 crore from fines.
Prashasti Srivastava, Chief Public Relations Officer of the Agra Division of Northern Railway, stated that a special ticket-checking campaign was conducted in April, May and June 2024. The campaign aimed to prevent ticketless travel. It also targeted irregular travel, unbooked luggage, littering, smoking and unauthorised vendors.
During this period, 1.40 lakh cases were identified. A total penalty of Rs 8.76 crore was imposed. Many passengers had sleeper tickets but sat in AC coaches to avoid the heat. As soon as the train started, the ticket checkers began their inspections and fined these passengers.
In June alone, Rs 2.98 crore was collected from 47,136 passengers. This included Rs 1.74 crore from 23,077 ticketless passengers. Additionally, Rs 1.24 crore was collected from 24,034 passengers travelling without proper authorisation. Rs 7,975 was collected from 25 passengers carrying unbooked luggage.
The ticket checkers were thorough. They checked the waiting rooms, AC coaches, handicapped coaches, ladies’ coaches, RMS coaches and pantry cars. Many passengers with sleeper tickets tried to escape the heat by travelling in AC coaches. These passengers were fined for travelling without the correct ticket. The fines were calculated based on the fare to the next stop, making this journey unforgettable for them.
Passengers holding tickets for short distances but travelling in long-distance reserved coaches were asked to vacate the coach. They had to pay the fare difference to continue their journey. Indian Railways is determined to reduce ticketless travel and maintain order. This campaign shows that Indian Railways is serious about ensuring that all passengers travel with valid tickets.
