Railways collected over Rs 8.5 billion in ticket-related fines, says govt

Rajen Gohain told the Rajya Sabha that during the financial year 2017-18 1.8 million checks were conducted by Zonal Railways

Railways collected more than Rs 8.5 billion in ticket-related fines from travellers during the first nine months of the current fiscal, Parliament was informed on Friday.

Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain told the Rajya Sabha that during the financial year 2017-18 (up to December 2017) 1.8 million checks were conducted by Zonal Railways in which approximately 18.3 million persons were found travelling without ticket or with improper ticket and about Rs 8.67 billion were realised from them.

Gohain, in a written reply to a question, said that the railways had taken several steps to check unauthorised passengers.

"Training of manning staff, who keep a watch on the entry of such persons, regular announcements through public address systems asking people not to to travel in reserved coaches of the trains otherwise they will be penalised and charged under section 155 of Railway Act, 1989, are some of the steps," he said.