07 July,2026 06:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Representational image. File pic
Western Railway (WR) generated nearly Rs 69 crore through intensive ticket-checking drives conducted across its network between April and June 2026. As per the official statement, WR registered a growth of over 17 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year.
An official from the WR further highlighted that more than 9.50 lakh ticketless and irregular passengers, including cases involving unbooked luggage, were detected during the first quarter of the financial year 2026-27.
The enforcement drives resulted in the recovery of nearly Rs 69 crore, compared with around Rs 59 crore collected during the same period in 2025.
The railway administration said the ticket-checking drives were carried out by a dedicated team of ticket-checking staff under the supervision of senior commercial officers across Mumbai suburban services, Mail and Express trains, passenger trains, and holiday special trains.
The initiative was aimed at curbing revenue leakage, preventing unauthorised travel and ensuring a hassle-free journey for passengers travelling with valid tickets.
Highlighting the fine collected, WR said that in June 2026 alone, WR detected 2.65 lakh cases of ticketless and irregular travel, leading to the collection of approximately Rs 18.50 crore in penalties. This represents a 21.3 per cent increase over June 2025, when the railway had recovered Rs 15.24 crore.
The Mumbai suburban section also recorded significant enforcement action during the three-month period. Between April and June, officials detected 3.14 lakh cases of ticketless and irregular travel, resulting in the recovery of around Rs 16.50 crore, compared with Rs 15.90 crore during the corresponding period last year.
Western Railway also intensified ticket-checking drives in its air-conditioned (AC) suburban local trains to prevent passengers holding general-class tickets from travelling in AC coaches. During the April-June period, officials detected 49,550 such cases and recovered Rs 1.63 crore in penalties, marking a nearly 160 per cent increase over the Rs 62.76 lakh collected during the same period last year.
As per the officials' statement, the revenue figures reflect the sustained efforts of its Commercial Department to minimise ticketless travel, prevent revenue leakage and promote disciplined travel across the railway network.
The railway has appealed to passengers to travel only with valid tickets to avoid penalties and help ensure a smooth and orderly commuting experience.
