Mumbai: In a bid to curb ticketless travel, the Central Railway (CR) initiated surprise ticket checking operations at Thane and Kalyan stations, resulting in the detection of 1,098 cases ticketless travel. The crackdown, conducted on Wednesday, yielded a total fine collection of Rs 5.02 lakh.
Surprise checks by CR
28 checking staff members and 4 Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were deployed at Thane station, between 7am and 3pm. This team detected 569 cases of ticketless travel and related defaults. The fines collected during the 8-hour period amounted to Rs 2.76 lakh. Among the violations, 388 cases were related to traveling without a ticket in the second class, while 56 cases were for traveling without a ticket in the first class. The remaining cases involved individuals traveling with unbooked luggage or using tickets of a lower class for higher-class travel.
Similarly, between 2pm and 10pm, the CR deployed 31 checking staff members, including officers, and an additional four RPF personnel. This team identified 529 cases of ticketless travel. The fines collected during this 8-hour period totalled Rs 2.26 lakh.
According to Dr Shivraj Manaspure chief public relations officer of CR, the surprise ticket checking operation serves as a reminder to local commuters to ensure they possess valid tickets for their journeys. The Central Railway's proactive efforts to maintain ticketing discipline aim to enhance passenger experiences and support the smooth functioning of train services. "This type of surprises checking will continue in future as well," the official said.
