Central Railway recovered a record Rs 159.3 crore in penalties from 20.5 lakh passengers travelling without valid tickets between April and September 2026, with Mumbai division accounting for the largest share of the collections.
The recovery was 37% higher than the Rs 116.5 crore collected during the corresponding period last year, according to a Central Railway official. Its ticket-checking teams penalised an average of 11,184 offenders and collected more than Rs 87 lakh every day during the six-month period.
Mumbai division led the railway’s six divisions and headquarters in recoveries, collecting Rs 66.9 crore from 10.11 lakh cases. Bhusaval division recorded Rs 38.90 crore, followed by Pune with Rs 18.68 crore, Nagpur with Rs 17.93 crore, headquarters with Rs 9.63 crore and Solapur with Rs 7.27 crore.
The railway’s enforcement drive also produced a significant monthly collection in September. Teams caught 2.4 lakh offenders during the month and recovered Rs 18.5 crore in penalties.
Central Railway attributed the increase partly to the revision of the minimum penalty for unauthorised travel from Rs 250 to Rs 500. It also deployed multiple checking strategies, including ambush checks and fortress checks, as part of the intensified enforcement campaign.
The figures show that ticketless travel remains a substantial enforcement issue across Central Railway’s network, particularly in the Mumbai division, which recorded more than half of the total cases and collections reported for the period. The recovery data covers both suburban and wider railway operations across the divisions under Central Railway.
Central Railway chief spokesperson Swapnil Nila urged passengers to travel with valid tickets and comply with railway rules. The railway’s ticket-checking teams are continuing the enforcement campaign across the network.
