Central Railway Cracks Down on Misuse of Foreign Tourist Quota; Rs 3.56 Lakh Penalty Collected
Mumbai, 07th May 2026: Central Railway has intensified its action against the alleged misuse of the Foreign Tourist (FT) quota after detecting multiple cases of Indian passengers travelling on FT quota tickets without possessing the mandatory supporting documents.
The irregularities first came to light on February 4, 2026, aboard Train No. 12296 Sangamitra Express, where several Indian passengers were found travelling on tickets booked under the FT quota without valid documents required for foreign tourists.
Following the detection, Central Railway carried out a detailed analysis of FT quota bookings for future travel dates. The investigation found that between April 24 and June 11, 2026, as many as 174 original Passenger Name Records (PNRs) under the FT quota had been issued across 31 trains operated by Central Railway.
Special verification drives were subsequently conducted by ticket-checking staff to examine the authenticity of these bookings. During the checks, 39 PNRs were identified as having been booked through misuse of the FT quota. A total of 121 passengers were found travelling irregularly.
Railway authorities imposed penalties in accordance with railway rules and collected fines amounting to ₹3,56,916. The passengers were denied occupancy of the berths booked under the FT quota, and the berths were later allotted to passengers on the RAC and waiting lists.
Central Railway said additional information has been sought from IRCTC to determine whether any authorised booking agents were involved in the transactions. Investigations are underway to identify individuals and entities linked to the unauthorised bookings.
Railway officials stated that booking tickets under an ineligible quota is a punishable offence under the Railways Act. Passengers travelling on quota-based reservations are required to carry valid identity cards and supporting documents applicable to the quota under which the ticket has been booked.
Passengers have been urged to report such cases to railway personnel, through the Railway Helpline 139, or via the Rail Madad app.
