Overview
- The changes were notified on June 19 and came into effect from June 20, 2026, when the minimum excess charge for ticketless or irregular travel under Sections 137 and 138 was raised from Rs 250 to Rs 500.
- Offences such as smoking, unauthorised hawking and begging now attract an on-the-spot penalty of Rs 2,000, while men entering coaches reserved for women face an immediate Rs 2,500 fine with ticket forfeiture.
- Railway Protection Force and authorised railway staff are empowered to impose and recover these penalties on the spot, issue removal and ticket-forfeiture orders, and give receipts to offenders.
- If penalties are refused or remain unpaid, authorised servants can pursue recovery through competent courts where higher fines or imprisonment may be ordered as set out in the amended sections.
- Railway officials framed the move as revenue protection and deterrence after large-scale ticketless travel—Central Railway reported Rs 40.85 crore recovered from 4.96 lakh ticketless travellers in May—and the rules are being publicised by divisions through advisories and social posts, which may hit informal vendors and change how routine offences are handled.