Mumbai, Jan 06: AC local trains on Western Railway have emerged as a major focus of intensive ticket-checking drives, with an average of 330 ticketless passengers being caught every day, underscoring the
scale of unauthorised travel on Mumbai’s suburban network.
₹2.97 crore recovered from AC locals
Between April and December 2025, nearly 91,000 passengers were penalised for travelling without valid tickets in AC suburban locals, leading to a recovery of ₹2.97 crore in fines.
This represents a 97 per cent increase in penalty amount compared to the corresponding period last year, reflecting both stricter enforcement and intensified surprise checks in air-conditioned local trains.
Overall recovery crosses ₹155 crore
Overall, Western Railway has collected ₹155.46 crore through intensive ticket-checking drives conducted across Mumbai suburban services, Mail/Express trains, passenger trains and holiday special trains during the April–December 2025 period.
Sharp year-on-year rise in penalties
The recovery is about 49 per cent higher than last year. It also includes ₹41.26 crore from the Mumbai suburban section alone.
December sees heightened enforcement
According to railway officials, December 2025 saw particularly strong enforcement. In that month alone, fines worth ₹15.54 crore were recovered after detecting 2.51 lakh ticketless or irregular passengers, including cases of unbooked luggage — an increase of about 42 per cent over December of the previous year. Separately, another ₹3.95 crore was realised in December through the detection of around 92,000 cases.
Senior officers supervise surprise checks
Senior Commercial Officers supervised these drives, with highly motivated ticket-checking teams carrying out frequent and surprise inspections, especially to prevent unauthorised entry into AC local trains.
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Appeal to commuters
Railway authorities said the sharp rise in penalties reflects sustained efforts to curb ticketless travel, protect public revenue and ensure a more comfortable and hassle-free journey for bona fide passengers.
Western Railway has once again appealed to commuters to travel only with proper and valid tickets, warning that enforcement drives will continue across all categories of trains.
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