The Indian Railways has collected a staggering Rs 1,781 crore in fines during the financial year 2024-25 (FY25) from passengers caught travelling without tickets, with irregular tickets, or carrying unbooked luggage. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presented this data in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Demand-Supply Gap Fuels Unauthorised Travel
Minister Vaishnaw attributed the persistent issue of ticketless travel primarily to the gap between the high demand for train seats and the available supply. To bridge this gap, especially during peak travel seasons, the national transporter has been running a massive number of special services. Until November 2025 in FY26, about 60,000 special train services were operated. Furthermore, over 700 coaches have been permanently added to augment regular services.
Data from the Railway Ministry shows that during this period, more than 200 new trains were introduced. This included 28 Vande Bharat Express, 26 Amrit Bharat Express, and 2 Namo Bharat Rapid Rail trains, aimed at meeting the surge in travel demand during festivals and holidays.
Penalties and Technological Crackdown
Under the Railways Act of 1989, travelling without a valid ticket is a punishable offense. The penalty involves paying the full fare for the journey distance plus a minimum fine of Rs 250. For instance, a ticketless passenger travelling from Patna to Buxar in sleeper class, with a base fare of Rs 100, would have to pay Rs 350 as a total penalty to the Ticket Examiner (TTE).
To enhance transparency and efficiency in checks, the Railways has equipped its ticket checking staff with over 30,000 Hand Held Terminals (HHTs). These tablet-like devices have replaced the old paper chart system. HHTs allow TTEs to download reservation charts, verify tickets, manage waitlists, allocate vacant berths, and seamlessly levy fines.
Infrastructure and Enforcement Measures
Beyond running more trains, the Railways is working on infrastructural solutions to manage crowds and ensure systematic ticket checking. A project is underway to create special holding areas at 76 major stations across India, modelled on the facility at New Delhi Railway Station. This will regulate platform entry and facilitate orderly ticket verification.
The Zonal Railways also conduct regular ticket checking drives. According to the Indian Railways Year Book, in FY24, a total of 5.39 lakh checks were conducted. These drives detected about 361.05 lakh cases of ticketless/irregular travel and unbooked luggage, resulting in a collection of Rs 2,232 crore. Collections in the previous two financial years, FY23 and FY22, stood at Rs 2,260 crore and Rs 1,575 crore respectively.
The combination of increased capacity, technological intervention, and focused enforcement underscores the Railways' multi-pronged strategy to address the systemic challenge of ticketless travel, which costs the national transporter significant revenue annually.
