Shon Onam in Kerala: Railways to step up checks to curb ticketless travel

image file to represent | Photo credit: H. VIBHU

Intensified checks by Ticket Examiners (TTE) are being carried out on trains to identify passengers traveling without tickets or illegally boarding reserved carriages. Due to the Onam rush, strict instructions have been issued to the TTEs to fine such passengers or seek the support of the Railway Protection Force to initiate legal action.

The move comes in the wake of several recent incidents of alleged manhandling attempts by railway staff trying to discourage such unauthorized passengers. There were even two incidents where TTEs sustained injuries after they were allegedly attacked by passengers who were caught traveling without proper tickets.

“There have been occasions in the past when the TTEs have adopted a humanitarian approach in the case of some passengers. But now we are helpless as the number of fraudsters is increasing,” says a TTE on duty on the Palakkad-Mangaluru section.

According to him, passengers with general tickets who board reserved buses and claim ignorance of the rules are quite common. “Some have been found loitering around the buses to avoid checking. The conversion of general tickets to reserved class tickets will be done only after the fine is imposed,” he adds.

The TTE from Kozhikode points out that there are travelers who show screenshots of general tickets booked by other users of the IRCTC booking app. Unreserved tickets booked using the rail app are strictly linked to the user’s device and identity, and screenshots or forwarded copies are invalid, he says.

Special control drive

Railway sources confirm that special inspection drives on the pattern adopted by some railway divisions are also being considered to prevent unauthorized travel and prevent loss of revenue. Details of recently collected fines are also expected to be published. The minimum fine for passengers traveling without a ticket has been doubled from ₹250 to ₹500, with the revised fine coming into force in June this year.

According to officials, the revised fine was introduced in accordance with the provisions of the Jan Vishwas Act, 2026. The higher fine is applicable under Sections 137 and 138 of the Railways Act, 1989. The provisions cover traveling without a ticket as well as traveling with a used, invalid or otherwise unsuitable ticket.

Published – 28 Aug 2026 10:53 IST