Passengers who play music or videos on speaker mode, or hold loud phone conversations, on trains and at stations in Southern Railway's jurisdiction can be fined and thrown off the premises. Persistent offenders can also be jailed.
What does the new directive say?
According to The Hindu, the zone's headquarters commercial branch wrote to its divisions on October 16. The letter says passengers playing audio on speakers at stations and in trains are causing a nuisance and hurting the comfort of others. It also points to cheap mobile internet as the reason such behaviour has grown. The report says that the circular asks divisions to run public announcements regularly on the ban.
What are the penalties?
The action is being taken under Section 145(2) of the Railways Act, as amended by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026, according to both papers.
- The offender can be removed from railway premises and fined Rs. 1,000. The person also forfeits their pass or ticket.
- If the person carries on after an authorised railway servant tells them to stop, the penalty rises to simple imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to Rs. 5,000, or both.
- Commercial staff of ticket examiner rank or above can impose the Rs. 1,000 penalty.
Divisions have been told to make announcements over public address systems in regional languages, Hindi and English, and to put up notices. The letter even carries suggested wording, which asks passengers to avoid speaker mode, keep conversations low and use earphones.
