Central Railway (CR) detected 5,787 cases of ticketless travel during a 12-hour special monitoring drive carried out on its suburban network on Saturday, officials said.
As part of the stepped-up operation, CR deployed around 750 ticket verifiers at 20 key suburban stations and on board suburban, Mail-Express and transport services. The large-scale inspection exercise averaged almost 482 offenders per hour.
According to railway officials, nearly 62% of those arrested were suburban commuters traveling without valid tickets in AC local trains and first class compartments. In addition to the special trip, routine ticket checks carried out during the operation resulted in sanctions for another 2,000 passengers.
Of the total cases recorded during the 12 hours of the exercise, 3,527 were detected in 20 suburban train stations, while 2,215 were detected on board trains. Ticket inspections were carried out on 60 Mail-Express and shuttle services, including trains running on the Diva-Roha and Diva-Vasai sections.
The highest number of violations were reported at Thane, Kalyan, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Panvel and Dadar stations. More than 1,200 ticketless travelers were caught at these five major stations alone, officials said.
The special campaign generated a bumper collection of Rs 25.23 lakh in just 12 hours. During the operation, a total of 10 railway agents were deployed across the network, along with 38 inspectors, supervisors and ticket control staff.
They added that similar enforcement campaigns would continue in the coming weeks to stem revenue loss and discourage unauthorized travel, particularly in AC premises and first-class compartments, which account for a disproportionate share of violations.
Story continues below this ad.
According to Central Railway data for the period April-December 2025, the Bombay The division alone booked 12.82 lakh ticketless or unauthorized passengers and recovered ₹55.12 crore in fines. Officials said the figures explain why busy stations like Thane, Kalyan, CSMT, Panvel and Dadar remain focus areas for special units.
“The objective is not only to punish violators but also to create awareness about the importance of buying valid tickets and maintaining discipline in the suburban network,” said a senior CR official.