The East Central Railway, commonly referred to as ECR, has already earned quite a lot in fines that amount to good Rs 30 crores in the ticket checking initiative meant for fiscal year 2024-25. The collection comes after passengers were caught traveling without their valid tickets during the vigorous travel regulatory enforcement by the division. Launched on April 1, this year, the exercise focuses at curbing fare evasions, ensuring passengers, too, are on good lines, and the added to the Indian Railways’s kitty.
Overview of the Ticket Checking Drive
The Sonepur division’s ticket-checking initiative, initiated by DRM Vivek Bhushan Sood, has been one of the most effective operations. Till date, this drive has penalized almost 4.60 lakh passengers without valid tickets. The operation apart from generating significant amount of fines also helped in keeping the railway passenger in order and compliance.
A notable success story was recorded on December 10, 2024, when a single ticket-checking drive fetched 3,578 passengers a fine for fare evasion. This alone added Rs 23.42 lakh to the revenue. The DRM maintained that this drive has succeeded in highlighting the railway’s commitment to tackling fare evasion in the right spirit.
Key Objectives of the Drive
The main intention of the ticket-checking drive in Sonepur is two-fold: raising additional revenue and ensuring that passengers travel according to the rules of travel. The railway is trying to encourage more passengers to abide by the travel rules, especially during peak travel seasons when the risk of fare evasion tends to increase by identifying and penalizing those who travel without tickets.
With the aim of enhancing travel experience and discipline, the Sonepur division has increased ticket checking, making it one of the most successful divisions in this area. Such activities have not only fetched the division financial gains but also sent a message to the passengers about the consequence of fare evasion.
Financial Impact and Revenue Generation
Ticket checking has been a very successful endeavor for East Central Railway, with significant revenue generation. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the Sonepur division has collected Rs 30 crore in fines from passengers traveling without tickets. This amount is bound to increase further with such targeted campaigns.
The actions taken by the Sonepur division to curb fare evasion are significantly contributing to Indian Railways’ revenue, thereby strengthening its ability to finance infrastructure projects and services across the country.
Rewarding Top Performers
Again, the hard work of the TTEs also goes to a great extent to ensure that the Sonepur division’s ticket-checking drive is effective. According to senior divisional commercial manager Raushan Kumar, two shining performers have been instrumental in the success of this drive:.
Hemlata Kumari from Barauni was awarded as the highest earning female TTE, as she has earned the highest revenue from ticket-checking fines, and Vishwajit Kumar from Khagaria was also awarded as the highest earning male TTE. They are the representatives to ensure that the drive has been successful and are testaments to the commitment and hard work of the railway staff towards the enforcement of travel regulations.
Conclusion: Continued Efforts and Future Aims
One such measure taken to check fare evasion and discipline passengers is the drive initiated by the Sonepur division of Indian Railways to check tickets. It has so far collected Rs 30 crore in the current fiscal year and the positive trend for the railways is likely to continue.
As the ticket checking momentum builds up, it would not only generate higher revenue but also help spread the culture of responsible travelers among passengers. The committed staff and continuous monitoring is all set to ensure success of the Sonepur division in meeting its financial and regulatory objectives, thereby contributing to a bigger picture of Indian Railways modernization and improvement plans.
Refer :
TOI, Link to article
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