7,799 train passengers fined for ticketless travel in Sonepur division

Patna: Sonepur division of the East Central Railway (ECR) has recorded a collection of Rs 59,04,320 as fine and arrested 7,799 passengers for ticketless travel in a single day operation conducted on June 23, said Sonepur divisional railway manager, (DRM) Vivek Bhushan Sood.

According to Sood, each travelling ticket examiner (TTE) in the Sonepur division achieved an exceptional daily average earning of Rs 8,137, surpassing the ECR's average of Rs 6,911 per TTE. This impressive performance marks a significant leap in both operational efficiency and revenue generation for the division, he said.

Sonepur senior divisional commercial manager (senior DCM) Raushan Kumar on Wednesday told this newspaper that the large-scale drive targeted unauthorised travel on mail and express trains with a special focus on reserved coaches. "The action not only contributed to cleaner and more orderly passenger services, but also offered much needed relief to the genuine passengers in peak summer," he said, adding a positive outcome of the operation was a 15% rise in sale of unreserved tickets across the division.

"Coordinated effort reflected our commitment to enhancing passenger experience while safeguarding railway revenue. The response from passengers has been largely supportive and we will continue such drives to maintain discipline and fairness in the system," Kumar said.