Central Railway has stepped up ticket inspections across its network, recovering Rs 140.8 crore in penalties from passengers travelling without valid tickets between April and August, according to a report by TOI.

The railway zone detected around 18 lakh cases of unauthorised travel during the five-month period. The penalty collection was about 40% higher than the corresponding period last year, reflecting intensified checking drives as well as the increase in the minimum fine for ticketless travel.

The Mumbai division contributed the largest share of the total recovery, collecting Rs 58.5 crore from around 8.8 lakh cases.

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Bhusaval division recorded Rs 35.5 crore from 3.4 lakh cases, while Pune and Nagpur divisions collected Rs 16.3 crore and Rs 15.8 crore, respectively. Solapur division contributed Rs 6.1 crore, with the Central Railway headquarters accounting for another Rs 8.6 crore.

Across the network, ticket-checking teams recorded an average of around 11,000 cases and collected nearly Rs 92 lakh in penalties every day during the period.

Central Railway collected Rs 19.5 crore in penalties in August alone, marking a 41% increase compared with August 2025, according to the TOI report.

Interestingly, the rise in revenue came even as the number of detected cases declined marginally. Around 2.5 lakh cases were recorded in August this year, compared with 2.7 lakh during the same month last year.

Officials attributed the higher collections to more intensive checking and the revised penalty structure. The minimum penalty for travelling without a valid ticket was increased from Rs 250 to Rs 500.

To tackle fare evasion, Central Railway has been conducting several types of inspections across its network. These include surprise checks at stations and on trains, as well as larger coordinated enforcement drives.

“This includes fortress checks, ambush inspections, station sweeps, and mega drives conducted across mail, express, passenger, special, and suburban trains in the Mumbai and Pune divisions,” said Central Railway chief spokesperson Swapnil Nila.

The drives have been carried out across different categories of services, with particular attention to trains and stations in the Mumbai and Pune divisions.

Railway authorities said travelling without a valid ticket is an offence under the Railways Act. They also stressed that fare revenue plays a role in supporting passenger amenities, safety measures and infrastructure development.

The latest enforcement figures come amid Central Railway's continued efforts to curb fare evasion and improve compliance with ticketing rules across its network.

Inputs from TOI & agencies