Western Railway has intensified its crackdown on fare evasion this year, and guess what, the effort has already brought in a remarkable ₹140 crore in fines between April and November. To be honest, that figure alone shows how seriously the organisation is tackling unauthorised travel. It’s also a clear 50% jump from what was collected in the same months last year.
According to Western Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer, teams across the network have been carrying out sustained inspections on Mumbai’s suburban services, long-distance trains and special holiday operations. And if we are being real, these checks have become far more rigorous, with senior commercial officers keeping a close eye on the drives.
Over 21 lakh offences detected in eight months
Look, the scale of violations is pretty striking. Railway records reveal that more than 21.70 lakh cases, ranging from ticketless travel to unbooked luggage, were flagged in just eight months. Long story short, the result was ₹140 crore worth of penalties, making this one of Western Railway’s strongest revenue protection phases in recent years.
November alone saw over 2.80 lakh offences. And surprisingly, that single month generated ₹18.25 crore in fines, marking a solid 40% rise over last year. Honestly, that’s no small jump.
AC locals see sharp rise in penalty collections
Air-conditioned suburban locals, which already come with higher fares, saw their own surge in defaulters. Nearly 75,000 penalty cases were reported on AC locals between April and November, adding more than ₹2.40 crore to the total recovery. And here’s the crazy part, that’s an 85% rise over last year.
Why does this matter? Because it clearly shows that unauthorised travel on AC services is still a challenge, even though these trains are meant for a more regulated commuter segment.
Churchgate inspector sets personal record
Meanwhile, one member of the flying squad has turned heads with his performance. The deputy chief ticket inspector at Churchgate, has detected more than 9,200 cases over the past 11 months. Think about it, that’s roughly ₹1.08 crore collected by a single official, which practically averages ₹40,000 a day.
And guess what happened next? On 18 October, Singh had a record-breaking day: over 150 cases detected and ₹2.24 lakh collected. Honestly though, that’s the sort of on-ground vigilance most transport systems wish they had.
WR credits staff for strengthening travel discipline
Western Railway says the credit goes entirely to its frontline teams. ‘Ticket checking is a continuous responsibility that demands tact, skill and courteousness,’ the CPRO noted. And to be fair, he’s right, this kind of disciplined revenue protection does not happen overnight.
Let’s be clear, the campaign is far from over. With suburban ridership steadily increasing, Western Railway plans to maintain, and possibly intensify, its vigilance across the network. And that’s the truth.
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