Indian Railways fines ₹2,000 for smoking, hawking and begging
Indian Railways is getting serious about passenger safety and comfort.
From now on, anyone caught smoking, unauthorized hawking of goods, or begging on trains or at stations faces a ₹2,000 fine.
This update comes under the Jan Vishwas Act as of June 19, 2026.
Railway violators face jail and ₹5,000
If you refuse to pay the fine or keep breaking these rules, things get tougher: there's a chance of landing in jail for up to 3 months or paying up to ₹5,000 for the hawking/begging offense under section 144, while the smoking offense under section 167 carries a fine of up to ₹5,000.
If a person contravenes section 144 for the fourth or any subsequent time, the punishment may extend to one year's imprisonment and a fine up to ₹5,000.
The goal here is simple: make train journeys safer and less disruptive for everyone.