Central Railway vigilance cracks down on ticketing irregularities; touting rackets busted across Maharashtra

The Central Railway Vigilance team has taken strict action against offenders involved in touting misuse of ticketing systems and travel on fake IDsBetween January and May eight preventive checks were conducted across various locations including Ambarnath Kolhapur Pune and Malkapur Several offenders were caught with unauthorised etickets fake IDs and in cases of system misuse by railway staffKey actions includeA major bust in Malkapur on May 22 where two individuals were found with 182 JCR tickets worth over Rs 10 lakh linked to a reservation clerk and IPFIn Ambarnath unauthorised ticketing software was seized along with multiple IRCTC IDsKolhapur and Pune saw arrests of touts with forged or transferred ticketsIn one case a reservation clerk was chargesheeted for issuing unprinted tickets for personal gainFake ID travel cases were penalised and misuse of privilege passes by nonrailway personnel led to fines of over Rs 10000The vigilance team reiterated its commitment to maintaining transparency and integrity in the railway system warning that such surprise checks and enforcement actions will continue in the interest of genuine passengersCentral Railways Mumbai Division earns Rs 5036 crore through nonfare initiativesThe Central Railway CR has generated Rs 6547 crore in revenue so far this financial year through nonfare initiatives including advertising in trains and at stations and other innovative services The revenue marks a growth of over 2 per cent compared to last yearMumbai Division accounted for Rs 5036 crore of the total Rs 6547 crore contributing nearly threefourths of CRrsquos nonfare revenueKey contributors to Mumbai Divisionrsquos revenueAdvertising on appbased initiatives ndash Rs 803 crore 159 per cent increaseDisplay advertising at stations ndash Rs 348 crore 86 per cent increaseElectric vehicle EV charging points sleeping pods and other services ndash Rs 280 crore 14 per cent increaseInterior and exterior train advertising ndash Rs 838 crore 19 per cent increasePromotional initiatives via platforms such as Woloo Digi Locker ndash Rs 126 crore 7 per cent increaseHoardings beyond stations ndash Rs 2644 crore 3 per cent increaseDuring the current financial year initiatives such as vending of consumables in electric multiple unit EMU trains relaxation massage chairs at major stations Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Kalyan Panvel and Lonavala battery swapping stations for EVs Digi Locker facilities promotion of banking and insurance services via kiosks and development and management of airconditioned AC dormitories and retiring rooms at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus LTT on an upgradeoperatetransfer basis helped the CR generate a good revenueAdvertising through paintings and wallpapers on railway boundary walls and lightemitting diode LED screen ads on Vande Bharat Express trains were also undertaken Lifestyle magazines were distributed on premium trains such as Rajdhani Vande Bharat and Tejas ExpressContribution from other divisionsPune ndash Rs 762 croreBhusaval ndash Rs 361 crore Nagpur ndash Rs 274 croreSolapur ndash Rs 114 croreThese divisions generated nonfare revenue through electric wheelchairs parcel scanners mini refreshment units integrated digital display systems Digi Locker facilities batteryoperated cars rail coach restaurants and bikepacking contracts across various stationsCR said the consistent growth in nonfare revenue reflects the dedication and innovation of its teams These efforts not only enhance passenger experience but also support Indian Railwaysrsquo broader objectives of modernisation and digitalisation creating a more vibrant and passengerfriendly rail ecosystem CR add