Mumbai, October 19, 2026: Commuters who play videos, reels or music loudly on their mobile phones inside Mumbai local trains could face fines of up to ₹5,000 and imprisonment of up to six months, as Central and Western Railway authorities move to curb noise-related nuisance in crowded compartments.
Railway officials have directed ticket-checking staff to identify passengers playing audio on their phones without earphones and ask them to stop. The proposed action will be taken under Section 145 of the Railways Act, which deals with nuisance and disorderly behaviour on railway premises. Officials said the drive would initially cover local trains and could later be extended to long-distance services.
Passengers To Be Warned Before Penalties
“The ticket-checking staff have been advised to catch commuters who are found playing videos or reels on their mobile phones without earphones. They will first be warned, and if they do not listen, they will be fined for causing nuisance,” a Western Railway official said.
The move comes amid growing complaints about passengers watching videos, listening to music and consuming other audio content on phone speakers during train journeys. With mobile internet becoming more accessible, the practice has become increasingly common, particularly in crowded suburban compartments during peak hours.
For many commuters, the problem goes beyond mere inconvenience. Loud audio can disturb passengers trying to rest, read or make phone calls, while disagreements over noise can lead to arguments inside already packed trains.
“The problem is particularly in crowded trains during peak hours, where commuters do play videos on speaker. This does get annoying and at times also leads to arguments,” said Nandkumar Deshmukh, president of the Federation of Suburban Rail Passengers Association.
Railways Consider Awareness Campaign
Railway officials said the aim was to encourage commuters to treat public transport as a shared space and respect the comfort of fellow passengers. They indicated that staff would initially request passengers to use earphones or lower the volume rather than immediately impose penalties.
A Central Railway official said ticket-checking staff would continue their regular duties but could approach passengers playing audio loudly if complaints were received. Given the proposed penalties, officials said, commuters would first be advised against repeating the behaviour.
The railways are also considering announcements at stations and inside trains to create awareness about acceptable behaviour. Messages may be issued in Marathi, Hindi and English so that passengers understand the rules.
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has already begun putting up stickers inside buses discouraging passengers from playing audio loudly on their phones.
Similar Measures Introduced Elsewhere
The issue is not new. In July 2012, the Railway Board issued guidelines advising railway authorities to create awareness about loud conversations, prolonged noisy phone calls and offensive ringtones inside train compartments.
The proposed action in Mumbai follows a similar move by Southern Railway, which has directed its divisions to treat loud music, videos played through phone speakers and excessively loud conversations as nuisance and take action against offenders. A copy of its circular was also sent to the Railway Board.
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For daily commuters, the success of the proposed drive will depend on consistent enforcement, particularly during rush hours, when crowded compartments leave little room for personal space. The message from the railways is simple: passengers can use their phones but should not make fellow commuters listen to their entertainment.
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