Travelling without ticket, damaging property: Railway increases fine
New railway rules increase monetary penalties for common offences, including travelling without a ticket, entering women-reserved coaches and misusing facilities.
 "Travelling without ticket, damaging property: Railway increases fine")
Train passengers will have to pay higher penalties for offences from July, as revised provisions under the railway law come into effect. The changes increase financial charges for violations such as ticketless travel, unauthorised entry into reserved coaches and misuse of railway facilities.
The amendments have been introduced under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026, which changes the approach for certain minor offences by reducing criminal action and shifting towards monetary penalties and recovery.
The biggest impact will be on passengers travelling without valid tickets, as the offence will now largely move from a criminal procedure to a penalty-based recovery system.
Ticketless train travel to attract minimum Rs 500 penalty
Passengers travelling without a valid ticket or pass will now have to pay the applicable fare along with additional charges.
Under the amended Section 137 of the Railway Act:
- Travelling without a valid ticket will require payment of the fare due.
- Additional excess charges will apply, subject to a minimum penalty of Rs 500.
The offence will mostly be handled through recovery and penalty instead of criminal proceedings.
The change means people travelling without tickets will face a direct financial cost rather than a legal process in most cases.
Entering women-reserved coaches may invite Rs 2,500 penalty
The Railways has also increased penalties for entering or staying in coaches or berths reserved for women.
Under the revised Section 162:
- A man entering a women’s coach can face a penalty of Rs 2,500.
- Railway officials can remove the person from the reserved coach or berth.
If the penalty is not paid, the matter can proceed to court, where a fine of up to Rs 5,000 may be imposed.
The amended provision also excludes transgender persons from proceedings under this section.
The move is aimed at ensuring better access and safety for women passengers using reserved railway facilities.
Misuse of railway facilities to attract higher penalty
Passengers misusing railway accommodation or facilities will also face higher financial consequences.
Earlier, the fine under the relevant provision was up to Rs 150. The revised rules increase the penalty limit significantly.
Key changes include:
Penalty can go up to Rs 2,000 for misuse of railway facilities.
Court proceedings will generally apply only if the penalty amount is not paid.
The revised structure is intended to make enforcement quicker by focusing on financial penalties.
Travelling on train roofs, steps or engines becomes costlier
Unsafe travel practices such as travelling on train roofs, steps or engines will also attract revised penalties.
Passengers found violating these rules may face:
A civil penalty of up to Rs 2,000.
If the penalty remains unpaid, the person may be presented before a court.
The court may impose a fine of up to Rs 2,000.
These provisions are aimed at preventing dangerous travel behaviour, especially during periods of high passenger demand.
What railway passengers should know
The revised rules represent a shift in how Indian Railways handles minor offences. Instead of relying mainly on criminal proceedings, the system will now focus more on immediate financial penalties.
For passengers, the key changes are:
Carrying a valid ticket remains important, as violations can now lead to higher immediate costs.
Reserved coaches and railway facilities will have stricter monetary penalties for misuse.
Failure to pay penalties can still lead to court involvement.
With the new provisions effective from July 2026, passengers will need to be more careful about compliance with railway rules, as common violations can now result in significantly higher out-of-pocket expenses.