Western Railway (WR) officials have lifted the penalty for spitting and littering from 200 to 500 rupees. This increase, announced in February 2025, comes after inspectors recorded more than 2,300 offences between April 2024 and January 2025, netting around 6 lakh rupees for clean-up efforts.
The more authoritarian rule has been rolled out in tandem with Station Mahotsav, a month-long festival that started on July 5 and features cultural shows, art displays, and food stalls. While visitors admire new murals and digital maps, the festive scene is still jolted by paan juice on platforms and splashed wrappers blowing under benches. Inspectors recently found fresh stains on the walls of the refurbished 19th-century terminal, a worrying sign that public indifference is outpacing taxpayer-funded cleaning. We were disappointed to see red smudges where contractors promised to keep every corner spotless, a senior WR manager said. To tighten enforcement, ticket checkers have been issued special receipt books, and uniformed Railway Protection Force guards will watch for offenders. The higher fine is only one part of a broader campaign to restore dignity to the station.
An updated hygiene policy was formally adopted during the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee meeting on July 10. During the session, passengers voiced complaints that extended beyond dirty facilities; they also mentioned wandering beggars, idle loiterers, and late trains. Hearing these overlapping issues, Western Railway administrators promised stronger monitoring, including extra CCTV cameras inside coaches aimed at discouraging misbehaviour. This initiative grows out of persistent passenger feedback and signals management’s recognition that cleanliness alone cannot improve travel comfort. Following the committee meeting, Divisional Railway Manager Pankaj Singh personally toured Bandra station and expressed disappointment with the daily upkeep. He issued a verbal warning to the cleaning contractor for allowing toilets and platform areas to fall short of publicly advertised standards. Inspectors found one persistent reason for the neglect: to save money, the contractor had routinely assigned fewer workers than contract stipulations required. As a result, dirt accumulated in out-of-sight corners along platforms, at track ends, and in ventilation shafts.
Reducing staff numbers may cut overheads, a senior WR officer observed, yet doing so has eroded basic hygiene. In the future, bylaws that penalise littering will be enforced with greater consistency, and cleaning labour rosters will be monitored weekly to guarantee adequate coverage. Although officials hope that the new ₹500 penalty will discourage those who litter, Bandra station still battles serious cleanliness issues. Serving as one of Mumbai’s busiest transit hubs, the site demands constant attention rather than one-time fixes. By tightening hygiene rules, Western Railway seeks both to protect the station’s heritage and to give every passenger a safer, more pleasant journey.
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Mumbai’s Bandra Station Introduces ₹500 Fine for Littering
