Western Railway cracks down on ticketless travel with record Rs 50 crore fines

Western Railway has seen a sharp rise in fines for ticketless and irregular travel. During April and May 2026, officials collected over Rs 50 crore in penalties—16% more than the same period last year. The crackdown also revealed a significant increase in violations, particularly in AC local trains, where fines surged by nearly 190%. Between April and May 2026, ticket-checking teams caught more than 6.80 lakh cases of unauthorised travel. These included ticketless passengers, irregular journeys, and unbooked luggage. The total penalties recovered reached Rs 50.33 crore, up from Rs 43.54 crore in 2025.

In May alone, inspectors identified 3.21 lakh offenders, collecting around Rs 23 crore in fines. The Mumbai suburban section accounted for a large portion of these cases, with over 2.20 lakh violations and Rs 11.80 crore in penalties. Special surprise checks were also carried out in AC suburban locals. These operations detected over 32,600 cases of irregular travel, resulting in nearly Rs 1 crore in fines. The penalties from AC locals were almost three times higher than the previous year’s figures for the same period.

The two-month campaign highlights stricter enforcement against ticketless and irregular travel. With fines rising by 16% overall and nearly 190% in AC locals, officials have signalled a tougher stance on violations. The collected penalties now exceed Rs 50 crore, reflecting both increased checks and higher detection rates.