Western Railway in Mumbai has taken a series of measures to combat ticketless and irregular travel, resulting in a remarkable recovery of fines. In May 2023 alone, more than 2.72 lakh passengers with unbooked luggage or without proper tickets were caught and fined, amounting to an impressive ₹19.99 crore. Recoveries of ₹5.04 crore were made from detecting 79,500 cases of travelling without proper tickets in the suburban section.
Western Railway’s intensified ticket checking drives, conducted between April and May 2023, were successful in recovering an astounding ₹36.75 crore in fines. A significant amount of ₹9.75 crore was collected from the Mumbai Suburban section alone. Close to 3.12 lakh cases of ticketless travel were detected within the Western Railway network during April and May 2023, with relatively more cases identified in the suburban section.
In response, Western Railway conducted frequent surprise ticket-checking drives to tackle unauthorised entry into AC local trains. Over 12,800 unauthorised passengers were penalised between April and May 2023, with fines totalling ₹42.80 lakhs. This represents a remarkable increase of 203.12% compared to the same period last year, indicating the success of Western Railway’s intensified efforts.
A Western Railway officer confirms that the aim of these initiatives was to ensure a fair system for all passengers. The diligent efforts of the ticket checking team, led by senior commercial officers, have not only detected a substantial number of cases but also recovered a staggering amount of revenue.
Sumit Thakur, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, emphasised the importance of proper and valid tickets. According to him, intense ticket-checking measures and imposing hefty fines on ticketless and irregular passengers originated so that genuine travellers could travel comfortably and securely.
Western Railway’s massive revenue recovery figure stands as a testament to the company’s commitment to curbing the menace of ticketless and irregular passengers.
