Mumbai: Western Railway launches 15-day ‘Operation DEEP’ ticket checking drive ahead of Diwali

Western Railwayrsquos Mumbai Central Division has launched a 15day special ticket checking drive lsquoOperation DEEPrsquo to curb ticketless and irregular travel during the Diwali festive rushThe campaign which began on October 31 and will continue until November 14 aims to manage the anticipated surge in passenger traffic and ensure a smooth and comfortable journey for passengers travelling with valid ticketsAccording to a press release issued by Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek on Tuesday dedicated ticketchecking squads have been deployed at railway stations and on board trains across the Mumbai Central Division to maintain travel discipline and manage the festive rushThe campaigns name DEEP stands for Detect Examine Enforce and Penalise representing its four key operational measures These include detecting ticketless and irregular travellers examining tickets and valid identity documents enforcing railway rules to curb overcrowding and penalising offenders under the provisions of the Railways ActWestern Railway has appealed to commuters and passengers to purchase and travel with valid tickets to avoid penalties and ensure a hasslefree journey Passengers have also been encouraged to make use of digital ticketing facilitiesWestern Railway detects 1549 lakh ticketless irregular travel cases in 6 monthsWestern Railway detected 1549 lakh cases of ticketless and irregular travel including unbooked luggage during ticketchecking drives between April and September 2026 collecting fines worth Rs 11652 crore according to an official statementThe railway zone said intensive checking drives were conducted across Mumbai suburban local trains longdistance MailExpress trains passenger trains and holiday special trains to curb unauthorised travel prevent revenue leakage and promote travel disciplineIn September alone Western Railway detected more than two lakh ticketless and irregular passengers and collected Rs 1609 crore in finesIn the Mumbai suburban section ticket checking drives detected 543 lakh cases of ticketless or irregular travel between April and September The drives resulted in the collection of more than Rs 30 crore in finesWestern Railway said the sustained checking was aimed at ensuring that passengers travel with valid tickets and follow railway rules across its suburban networkWestern Railway also intensified ticket checking on AC suburban local trains to prevent passengers holding general tickets from travelling in AC servicesBetween April and September around 97000 penalty cases were detected on AC suburban services resulting in the collection of Rs 433 croreThis represented a growth of more than 170 per cent over the corresponding period last year when around 49000 cases were detected and Rs 160 crore was collected in fines