Indian Railways fines ticketless and excess travel ₹500 plus fare
Heads up, train travelers!
Starting July 1, 2026, Indian Railways will slap a penalty of ₹500 plus the actual fare on anyone caught without a valid ticket or traveling farther than their ticket allows.
This change comes under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 and aims to make sure everyone plays fair and helps keep railway revenue steady.
Railway offenses fined up to ₹2,500
The new rules double the old penalty for ticketless travel (it was ₹250 before).
But that's not all: unauthorized hawkers face a ₹2,000 fine, causing drunken trouble on trains or platforms will cost ₹1,000, men in women-only coaches get hit with ₹2,500, and smoking where you're not supposed to will cost you ₹2,000.
For ticketless travel, railway officials can hand out these penalties directly, so best to keep your ticket handy and follow the rules!