Western Railways collect Rs 135.58 cr as fines from April to Dec 2022

Western Railways informed on Thursday that they collected an amount of Rs. 135.58 crores as fines during several ticket-checking drives from April to December 2022.

"The highly motivated ticket-checking team under the supervision of senior commercial officers of Western Railway organized several ticket-checking drives during the period from April to December 2022, thereby recovering an amount to the tune of Rs. 135.58 crores," WR informed in a press release.

"In order to ensure hassle-free, comfortable travel & better services to all passengers over Western Railway, intensive ticket checking drives which were being carried out continuously over Mumbai suburban local services, Mail/Express as well as passenger trains and holiday special trains so as to curb the menace of ticketless/irregular passengers," it said.

Western Railway also urged to the general public to travel with 'proper and valid tickets'.

According to the press release issued by Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer, Western Railway, during the month of December 2022, an amount of Rs.9.87 crore was recovered through the detection of 1.58 lakh ticketless/irregular passengers, including unbooked luggage cases.

From April to December 2022, a total of 20.12 lakh ticketless/ irregular passengers & unbooked luggage cases were detected, as against 11.76 lakh cases detected during the corresponding period last year, which is an increase of over 71.10 per cent, the release stated.

The statement further added that a fines worth Rs. 135.58 crores were recovered from these passengers, which is an increase of 99.15% over the corresponding period of last year, which was Rs. 68.08 crores.

"To prevent unauthorized entry in AC local trains, frequent surprise ticket checking drives are carried out. As a result of these drives, more than 31,500 unauthorized passengers have been penalized since April 2022," read the release.