Mumbai News: Western Railway Recovers ₹70.98 Crore From Ticketless Travellers Between April–July 2025, Surpasses Target By 11%

Mumbai: Western Railway (WR) has recovered a whopping Rs 70.98 crore in fines from irregular travellers through intensified ticket checking drives conducted between April and July 2025. This amount marks a significant 24% increase compared to the same period last year and exceeds the Railway Board’s target by 11%.

Mumbai Suburban Section Alone Fetched ₹19.55 Crore in Penalties

According to a senior officer of Western Railway, the Mumbai suburban section alone accounted for Rs 19.55 crore of the total fines. "The spike in collections reflects WR’s unwavering efforts to ensure smooth and lawful travel for all bona fide passengers," he said.

July 2025 Saw 134% Rise in Fines Compared to Last Year

The month of July 2025 witnessed a remarkable surge in enforcement activity, with Rs 12.19 crore collected from 2.22 lakh detected cases of ticketless or irregular travel, including unbooked luggage offences. This figure represents a 134% increase over July 2024. Notably, Rs 3.65 crore of this amount was collected from approximately 92,000 cases in the Mumbai suburban section.

AC Local Offenders Fined ₹93.40 Lakh Across 28,000 Cases

"In a focused effort to curb unauthorized travel in air-conditioned (AC) suburban locals, WR carried out frequent surprise checks. These drives led to the detection of over 28,000 unauthorized passengers from April to July 2025, resulting in Rs 93.40 lakh in fines—an increase of 58% from the same period last year," stated a WR official.

WR Intensifies Surprise Checks Under Senior Commercial Officers' Supervision

"The success of these operations is credited to the dedicated ticket checking teams working under the guidance of senior commercial officers. Their continued vigilance underscores Western Railway’s commitment to safeguarding public revenue, enhancing the passenger experience, and promoting compliance," he said.

Western Railway Collects ₹ 43.54 Crore As Fine During Intensive Ticket Checking Drives During The Period From April To May 2025

Strict Action Will Continue, WR Appeals for Valid Ticket Compliance

"Western Railway has appealed to all passengers to travel with proper and valid tickets, emphasizing that strict action will continue against violators to maintain fairness and discipline across the network" further added official.