Central Railway ticket-checking teams recovered Rs 159.34 crore in penalties from 20.47 lakh passengers travelling without tickets or with improper or invalid travel authority between April and September 2026, with the Mumbai Division accounting for the largest share of collections.
According to Central Railway, an average of 11,184 offenders were penalised every day during the six-month period, while daily recoveries exceeded Rs 87 lakh. The railway said the enforcement drive was intensified across its network, including suburban, Mail, Express, Passenger and Special trains.
The Mumbai Division recovered Rs 66.92 crore from 10.11 lakh cases, the highest recovery among Central Railway’s divisions. Bhusaval Division recorded Rs 38.90 crore from 3.77 lakh cases, followed by Pune Division with Rs 18.68 crore from 2.13 lakh cases, Nagpur Division with Rs 17.93 crore from 2.36 lakh cases and Solapur Division with Rs 7.27 crore from 1.10 lakh cases. Headquarters recorded Rs 9.63 crore from 0.99 lakh cases.
Central Railway said its penalty earnings increased by more than 37 per cent compared with the corresponding period in 2025. Between April and September last year, the railway recorded 20.05 lakh cases and recovered Rs 116.46 crore in penalties.
The railway attributed the increase in collections partly to the revision of the minimum penalty for ticketless travel from Rs 250 to Rs 500. Travelling without a valid ticket or travel authority is an offence under the Railways Act and can result in penal action.
In September alone, Central Railway’s ticket-checking teams apprehended 2.44 lakh passengers travelling without tickets or valid travel authority and recovered Rs 18.53 crore in penalties. The railway said ticketless travel affects revenue used for passenger amenities, safety and infrastructure improvements.
The enforcement programme includes station checks, ambush checks, fortress checks, intensive checks and mega ticket-checking drives. These operations are being conducted across the network, including suburban services in the Mumbai and Pune divisions.
Central Railway has appealed to passengers to purchase proper and valid tickets before travelling. It said the intensified checks would continue as part of its zero-tolerance policy towards ticketless travel and its stated commitment to providing passengers with a comfortable and dignified journey.
