In a remarkable move against ticketless travel, the South Western Railway (SWR) announced its successful detection and penalisation of 6.27 lakh cases from April 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, collecting a hefty fine of Rs 46.31 crore. The Bengaluru division of SWR emerged as a frontrunner, booking 3.68 lakh cases and amassing fines amounting to Rs 28.26 crore.
The SWR highlighted its commitment to curbing ticketless travel, citing a 9.95% increase in fines compared to the corresponding period last year. The Railway zone said in a statement that the fines collected during this period are reported to be the highest ever since the inception of the South Western Railway.
December 2023 records highest cases
In a statement, the Railway zone disclosed that December 2023 alone witnessed the booking of 72,041 cases, resulting in a revenue of Rs. 5.13 crore from fines imposed on ticketless travelers within the SWR zone. This proactive stance against fare evasion not only contributes significantly to the revenue but also underscores the railways’ dedication to maintaining a fair and just ticketing system.
Konkan Railways ticket checking drive
The intensive ticket checking drive by the Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC) in the last three months from October to December 2023 has resulted in the collection of fines worth over Rs 5.66 crore. In December 2023 alone, officials collected Rs 1,95,64,926 as fine along with the actual fare from 6,675 passengers found travelling without valid tickets.
Over the three-month period from October to December 2023, Konkan Railway ticket collectors gathered a total of Rs 5,66,99,017 from 18,446 ticketless passengers.
(With inputs from PTI)