Railways Raises Penalties for Ticketless Travel, Unauthorized Vending and Other Offences Under Jan Vishwas Act
Pune, 27th June 2026: The Railway Administration has launched an awareness campaign to inform passengers about revised penalty provisions under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026, which amends several provisions of the Railways Act, 1989 and introduces higher monetary penalties for a range of railway-related offences.
Under the revised provisions, passengers travelling without a ticket, travelling fraudulently, travelling without proper authority or travelling on a transferred ticket will now be liable to pay a minimum excess charge or penalty of ₹500.
The amended rules also prescribe a ₹2,000 penalty for offences such as unauthorized hawking, vending without a licence and begging within railway premises. The same penalty applies to passengers creating a nuisance under the influence of intoxicants, using abusive or indecent language, or obstructing railway employees while they are performing official duties.
To strengthen passenger safety and maintain order, the revised provisions impose a ₹2,000 penalty for obstructing the entry of a reserved passenger into a reserved coach and ₹1,000 for preventing lawful entry into an unreserved coach. Disobeying railway signs or official instructions will attract a ₹500 penalty, while a male passenger found entering a coach or area reserved for women may face a fine of up to ₹2,500.
The amendments also revise penalties for offences involving goods and luggage, including false declarations, transporting dangerous or prohibited articles, damaging railway notice boards and smoking inside trains. Smoking in trains and damaging railway information boards can now attract a fine of up to ₹2,000.
According to the Railway officials, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 shifts several offences from criminal prosecution to monetary penalties, allowing for quicker disposal of cases. However, individuals who fail to pay the prescribed penalty may be produced before a competent court, while stricter penalties and imprisonment provisions for repeat offenders remain applicable.
