In the Chennai Division of Southern Railway, a surprising trend has emerged among ticketless travelers on suburban trains. Contrary to the common perception that daily wage laborers or small vendors comprise the majority, it has been revealed that a significant portion of those found traveling without tickets are college students.
Since April of this year, the railway has collected over ₹57 crore in penalties from individuals without valid tickets. The problem appears particularly acute on the Tambaram-Chengalpattu route in Chennai Division. Many of these students, who could easily afford concessional season tickets, seem to be taking the free travel challenge, often boarding front or rear coaches and hastily exiting platforms upon spotting ticket-checking staff. When caught, they willingly pay the penalty without argument. On a single day in October, Southern Railway’s ticket-checking squad recorded their highest-ever earnings, collecting ₹22.7 lakh in fines from over 3,300 ticketless travelers.
Chennai Division Leads Penalty Earnings Since April 1, 2023, Southern Railway has accrued ₹57.48 crore in penalties from passengers for various travel offenses, including ticketless travel, irregular tickets, and unbooked luggage. Chennai Division led with ₹21.82 crore in penalties, followed by Thiruvananthapuram Division and Palakkad Divisions with ₹8.72 crore and ₹8.32 crore, respectively. The railway authorities have commended the dedicated efforts of their ticket-checking wing but stressed the importance of passengers upholding their responsibility to enhance service quality. Traveling without a valid ticket or pass is punishable under sections 137, 138, and 139 of the Railways Act, 1989.
Two Categories of Ticketless Travellers Officials categorize ticketless travelers into two groups: unintentional and intentional. The unintentional group often boards suburban trains last minute to connect with an express train in time and pays the penalty when caught. The intentional group primarily comprises students who, when confronted, also pay the fine. For them, it seems to be more about the thrill of avoiding fares and less about the fines incurred.