WR’s ticket checking drive cracks down on unauthorised travel in Mumbai AC local trains, collects Rs 1.72 cr in penalties

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Western Railway's Mumbai suburban network has intensified its ticket-checking campaign to curb unauthorized travel in Mumbai AC local trains, resulting in a significant increase in penalties collected from violators.

According to a statement issued by Western Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer, Vineet Abhishek, the Mumbai suburban section operates 109 AC local services daily, carrying approximately 1.26 lakh passengers. In the ongoing financial year 2024-25 (up to January 2025), ticket-checking teams of the Mumbai Division detected over 51,600 cases of irregular travel, recovering Rs 1.72 crore in penalties.

The crackdown has shown a notable rise in enforcement actions. In January 2025 alone, Western Railway collected Rs 20.97 lakh in fines from 6,258 cases of unauthorized travel - reflecting a 31 per cent increase in fines and a 32 per cent rise in detected cases compared to January 2024, when Rs 16.07 lakh was collected from 4,743 offenders.

To further enhance the travel experience of bonafide passengers and prevent ticketless travel, Western Railway has implemented several key initiatives, including, a dedicated AC Task Force to monitor irregular travel in suburban trains, a Special Monitoring Team to oversee ticket-checking operations and frequent special drives to curb unauthorized travel.

Additionally, commuters can report complaints regarding AC local trains 24x7 via Helpline No. 139 or WhatsApp at 9004497364, ensuring swift action from railway authorities. Ticket-checking performance is also monitored on a daily basis.