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

Western Railway (WR) has cracked down on ticketless and irregular travel over the past two months. Between April and May 2026, officials detected over 6.80 lakh cases of fare evasion, unbooked luggage, and improper journeys. The enforcement drive resulted in penalty collections exceeding Rs 50 crore. Ticket-checking teams were particularly active in May, catching around 3.21 lakh offenders. These efforts recovered nearly Rs 23 crore in fines for that month alone. Special surprise inspections in AC suburban locals helped uncover more than 32,600 cases, generating almost Rs 1 crore in penalties.

The Mumbai suburban section saw the highest number of violations, with over 2.20 lakh offenders identified. Fines in this area amounted to roughly Rs 11.80 crore. Compared to the same period last year, penalty collections rose by nearly 16%. The increase was even sharper for AC locals, where recoveries jumped by almost 190%. The intensified checks have led to a significant rise in penalty collections. WR’s focus on surprise inspections and stricter enforcement has reduced unauthorised travel. The total fines collected now stand at over Rs 50 crore for the two-month period.