Travelling on Central Railway without a valid ticket could now prove more expensive, with the minimum penalty for ticketless travel revised from Rs 250 to Rs 500. The railway has also intensified ticket-checking drives across special, suburban trains, Mail/Express, including services in Mumbai and Pune.
Central Railway stated that its ticket-checking teams have collected 18.03 lakh cases of passengers travelling without tickets or with improper or invalid travel authority between April and August 2026. Penalties worth Rs 140.81 crore were recovered during the five-month period.
As per the official release by Central Railway, an average of around 11,000 passengers were penalised every day, whereas daily penalty collections averaged Rs 92.03 lakh.
Rs 140.81 crore recovered in five months
The latest data show an increase in both cases and penalty collections in comparison with the corresponding period of the previous financial year.
Between April and August last year, Central Railway recorded 17.19 lakh cases and recovered Rs 100.50 crore. This year, cases surged by around 5%, whereas the amount retrieved as penalties jumped by more than 40%.
Central Railway mentioned that the increase in the minimum penalty, along with intensified ticket-checking drives, had generated significant results during FY 2026-27 up to August 2026. The higher collections come after the minimum penalty for ticketless travel was revised from Rs 250 to Rs 500.
Mumbai division accounts for Rs 58.46 crore
Mumbai division marked the highest number of cases and penalty collections during the April-August period. Ticket-checking teams identified 8.80 lakh cases in the Mumbai Division and collected Rs 58.46 crore. Bhusaval is in second slot with 3.42 lakh cases and collections of Rs 35.52 crore.
Pune Division collected Rs 16.29 crore from 1.86 lakh cases, whereas Nagpur registered 2.11 lakh cases and Rs 15.83 crore in penalties. Solapur accounted for Rs 95,000 cases and Rs 6.13 crore in recoveries, whereas Central Railway headquarters recorded 88,000 cases and collected Rs 8.57 crore.
August collections rise over 41%
Central Railway teams recovered 2.57 lakh cases of passengers who were travelling without a ticket or valid travel authority in August 2026, in comparison with 2.76 lakh cases in August 2025.
Despite fewer cases, the amount collected climbed sharply. Penalty recoveries stood at Rs 19.50 crore in August this year, against Rs 13.78 crore in the corresponding month last year, a surge of more than 41%.
Where are ticket checks being conducted?
Central Railway stated it has adopted several methods to detect unauthorised and ticketless travel. These include station checks, fortress checks, ambuss checks, mega-ticketing drives and intensive checks.
The exercises cover Mail/Express, passenger and special trains along with suburban services in the Mumbai and Pune divisions. Travelling without a valid ticket is an offence under the Railway Act and attracts penal action.
Central Railway also underlined the wider impact of ticketless travel, stating railway revenue is “utilised for enhancing passenger amenities, safety and infrastructure.”
Central Railway’s appeal to passengers
Central Railway has appealed to passengers to buy proper and valid tickets before travelling to avoid penalties and inconvenience. The railway also asserted its zero tolerance approach towards ticketless travel and appealed to passengers to “travel with dignity and responsibility” by purchasing genuine tickets.
The Central Railways has asked its passengers to travel responsibly, and to travel with dignity.