Ticketless Travellers on Mumbai AC Locals Penalised; Rs 1 Lakh Per Day on Average Collected in Fines in 3 Months

Indian Railways’ western and central regions collected an average of Rs 1 lakh per day in fines from ticketless passengers on air-conditioned local trains in Mumbai from April to June. Official data shows that an average of 325 people travel each day without a ticket.

Since April 1, Western Railways has found 19,600 unauthorized passengers and collected Rs 65.23 in fines while the Central has accommodated 9,593 passengers traveling without a ticket and collected Rs 31.92 in fines.

Mumbai local trains, called the lifeblood of India’s commercial capital, are operated by the Western and Central regions of the Indian Railways. With six AC local trains, Western Railway operates 79 services while Central Railway operates 56 services with four trains in the suburban section.

Western Railway said that to prevent unauthorized entry to local AC trains, frequent spot checks were carried out. “As a result, more than 19,600 unauthorized passengers were penalized between April and June and 65.23 lakh rupees in fines were collected, which is 179 per cent more than the same period last year,” she added.

Local trains or suburban services are some of the most preferred means of communication in the city. To reduce ticketless travelers and irregulars from hopping on local trains and for a comfortable travel experience, Western Region said it had conducted extensive checks on Mumbai’s suburban services, courier, as well as commuter trains and holiday specials.

“The highly motivated ticket-checking team organized several excursions during the period from April to June, recovering the sum of Rs 50.83 crore, which also includes Rs 13.26 crore from the Suburban Division of Mumbai,” the district said.

According to Central Railways, the AC domestic services it operated carried 49.47 passengers between April and June, generating revenue of Rs 23.36 crore.