Ticketless travel: ECR recovers Rs5crore in fines

Patna: The Danapur division of the East Central Railway (ECR) has intensified its crackdown on ticketless travel and unauthorised entry into reserved coaches, recovering nearly Rs 5 crore in penalties during a monthlong special drive conducted between April 1 and May 6.Danapur senior divisional commercial manager Abhinav Siddarth said ticket checking squads detected over 90 lakh passengers travelling without valid tickets or violating railway rules during the campaign.According to Siddarth, enforcement action recorded a sharp rise compared to the corresponding period last year. “The number of cases registered increased by 28% while the amount collected as fine rose by 26%,” he said.The drive was launched to curb illegal travel and maintain discipline inside trains and at railway stations. Railway authorities also conducted awareness campaigns in semi-urban and rural areas, urging passengers to travel only with valid tickets and avoid entering reserved coaches without authorisation.To strengthen enforcement, the division deployed fortress ticket checking, magistrate-led inspections and special “Red Train” operations at major stations and onboard trains. Officials said street plays were also organised in remote areas to spread awareness about railway rules.Meanwhile, the Sonepur division of the ECR carried out a mega checking drive on May 4, during which 3,172 passengers were penalised and over Rs 22 lakh recovered as fines.Railway sources said 178 passengers were detained at Begusarai station alone, leading to the recovery of more than Rs 1 lakh as penalty.