Railway Rules July: Big news for railway passengers. The national government has made changes to multiple railway policies. According to the updated regulations, the penalty for journeying without a ticket has been raised from Rs 250 to Rs 500. Moreover, individuals found traveling with a ticket registered under another person’s name will have their ticket seized on the spot.
Travelers will need to pay the complete ticket price along with an extra charge of at least Rs 500. Carrying hazardous goods on trains will lead to fines reaching up to Rs 10,000. In severe instances, imprisonment may be imposed. Railway authorities have announced that the decision is intended to reduce instances of ticketless travel, bolster ticket inspections, safeguard railway revenues, and enhance adherence to ticketing regulations.
While the minimum penalties and additional charges have been raised, other regulations concerning fare collection and additional charges will stay unchanged. It has been reported that the differentiation between penalties imposed by authorized railway personnel and those imposed by a competent court will also be upheld.
Changes in fines for traveling without a ticket
The minimum fine for individuals traveling without a ticket or pass will be raised from Rs 250 to Rs 500. This new minimum fine will also be applicable to cases of fraudulent travel. These updated regulations cover passengers traveling without a ticket, utilizing an incorrect ticket, or exceeding the designated distance. These modifications have been enacted in sections 137 and 138 of the Railways Act, 1989, through the “Public Trust (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026.”
The maximum penalty remains the same, with potential imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to Rs 1,000, or both, as determined by the competent court. The revised regulations maintain a distinction between ‘penalty’ (punishment) and ‘fine’ (a penalty imposed by a court). A penalty can be issued by an authorized railway employee, while a fine can be imposed by a competent court. Legal proceedings typically commence when a passenger neglects or refuses to pay the specified penalty.
Fine of four and a half lakhs recovered
Pune is an important railway division of the Central Railway, from where more than two and a half lakh passengers travel every day. In the last financial year, the Pune Railway Division took action against 4 lakh 31 thousand errant passengers. They collected a fine of Rs 27 crore 14 lakh, while the Central Railway caught more than 38 lakh errant passengers and collected a fine of more than Rs 2.25 crore from them. To curb errant passengers, the Railways has now doubled the fine. The Pune Railway Division has registered 515 cases under the new provisions and collected a fine of Rs 4.5 lakh.