In a significant move to protect honest commuters, Mumbai's lifeline—the suburban railway network—has introduced a stringent new rule. All passengers travelling on air-conditioned (AC) local trains must now carry a valid identity card and present it alongside their season ticket during checks.
Joint Teams Deploy at Stations to Curb Fake Passes
This decisive action by the Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) comes in response to a worrying rise in the use of forged and digitally altered AC local season tickets. Joint teams of ticket checking staff have been deployed at key stations and inside trains to intensify verification drives.
Officials stated that the pattern of recent detections clearly shows that counterfeit passes are being circulated within the suburban network. The new procedure requires ticket examiners to cross-verify the personal details on the commuter's photo ID with the information printed on the season pass. This step is specifically designed to prevent the misuse of photocopied or physically tampered tickets.
Strict Legal Action Under BNS Provisions
The railways have warned of severe consequences for those involved in creating or using fake tickets. Strict action will be taken under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with cheating and forgery. The cited sections include 318 (2), 336 (3), 336 (4), 340 (1), and 340 (2).
These legal provisions are formidable, allowing for substantial fines and imprisonment of up to seven years for offenders. This underscores the seriousness with which the authorities are treating this malpractice.
Drive to Protect Genuine Commuters and System Integrity
Explaining the rationale behind the crackdown, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, Swapnil Nila, emphasized that the drive is essential. "This drive is essential to protect genuine AC local commuters and maintain discipline in the system," Nila stated.
The initiative aims to safeguard the revenue of the railways and ensure that only legitimate ticket holders avail the benefits of the AC local train services. For daily commuters, this means that carrying a government-issued ID like an Aadhaar card, driving license, or passport has become as crucial as carrying the season ticket itself during travel.
