‘As many as 765 cases of ticketless travelling, unbooked luggage caught’

Kolkata: In two days, 765 cases of ticketless travelling and passengers lacking valid documents for luggage were cracked down upon by Railway authorities in Hasnabad Section and Sealdah South Section.

The special ticket checking drives were conducted in these two sections on May 30 and May 31. During such checks, ticketless travelling and passengers travelling with incorrect tickets were held. These cases resulted in a total revenue earning of Rs 2,17,300.

On May 30, checking was conducted in the Hasnabad section in which a total of 379 cases were booked for ticketless travelling or unbooked luggage resulting in total revenue earnings of Rs1,07,810. Subsequently on May 31, another checking was carried out in Sealdah South Section in which 385 people were penalised and a total fine of Rs 1,09,490 was imposed. Earlier in May, a joint operation by Sealdah Division and the Vigilance department to catch people travelling ticketless, 81 such passengers were caught at Kolkata station and a fine of Rs 33,990 was collected. During a similar drive at Howrah station on April 30, 488 cases of ticketless passengers/vendors were identified, resulting in penalties totaling Rs 1,12,855. In April 2024, Eastern Railway detected 1.863 lakh cases of ticketless travellers or travelling with unbooked luggage, compared to 1.721 lakh cases apprehended in April 2023.

“This collaborative effort aimed to clamp down on passengers and vendors found travelling without valid tickets.

The joint ambush checks have yielded significant results, with multiple individuals and vendors apprehended for ticketless travel.

Stringent measures, including fines and legal actions, are being pursued against offenders to uphold the integrity of the Railway system and ensure equitable practices,” a Railway official said.