The Suburban Railway System of Mumbai, one of the world’s largest and most unique, serves as the lifeline of the city, transporting millions daily. The Central Railway operates approximately 3.9 million passengers through 1,810 services, including 66 AC local services that carry around 76,836 passengers per day.

To ensure passenger safety and curb irregular travel, Central Railway’s Mumbai Division conducts frequent ticket-checking drives on AC locals and at stations. These drives help detect and penalise ticketless travel, significantly deterring others from doing the same.

In the financial year 2024-25 (up to January 2025), the Mumbai Division detected 81,709 cases of irregular travel on AC locals, collecting Rs.2.70 crore in penalties. This marks a staggering 127% increase from the previous year’s corresponding period, where Rs.1.19 crore was recovered from 35,885 cases.

In January 2025, Rs.27.82 lakh was collected from 8,535 cases, a 135.05% revenue increase and a 143.09% rise in cases compared to Rs.11.83 lakh from 3,511 cases in January 2024.

Penalties also increased over the last three months: Rs.29.56 lakh in December, Rs.31.84 lakh in November, and Rs.37.45 lakh in October 2024, with detected cases of 9,134, 9,698, and 11,532 respectively.

To enhance passenger experience and curb irregular travel, initiatives like a dedicated AC Task Force, a WhatsApp complaint number (7208819987), and a Special Monitoring Team have been launched.

Central Railway urges passengers to travel with dignity and buy valid tickets to avoid inconvenience, ensuring a safe and comfortable journey.

Source/CR