WR conducts Indian Railways' biggest fortress tickets check at Borivli in Mumbai, collects Rs 13.5L in fines

Time of India

6 days ago

Mumbai: Western Railway conducted the most extensive fortress ticket-checking drive in Indian Railways' history at Borivli station on Tuesday, booking more than 5,100 ticketless and irregular passengers and collecting Rs 13.5 lakh in fines—the highest single-day ticket checking revenue recorded at any station.
The operation was part of WR's newly launched NAMASTE Abhiyaan — short for Namrata Aur Strong Ticket Examination — which aims to curb fare evasion through surprise, high-impact enforcement drives. The crackdown at Borivli involved a deployment of 350 personnel, including 300 ticket checking staff, along with Railway Protection Force (RPF) and govt Railway Police (GRP) support.
"This is the largest and most focused ticket-checking operation undertaken on Indian Railways at a single station," said Vineet Abhishek, chief public relations officer, WR.
"On a regular day, our suburban section sees around 2,600 cases and earns approximately Rs 8 lakh in revenue. Tuesday's drive at Borivli alone surpassed Rs 13 lakh and booked 5,192 cases — an all-time high for any single station."
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Ticket checking staff usually work with shoulder bags containing hand-held terminals (HHTs) and Excess Fare Ticket (EFT) books, making it difficult to navigate overcrowded coaches and AC locals, especially during peak hours.
Under NAMASTE, WR has introduced specially designed protective vests that securely hold essential devices like HHTs, EFTs, body cameras, and compact speakers for onboard announcements.
"These new vests will significantly improve the mobility and safety of our ticket checking staff," Abhishek said. "They allow devices to be strapped close to the body, reducing clutter and enabling better access in crowded conditions."
WR is also establishing pre-custody areas at major suburban stations to streamline the handling of ticketless or unruly passengers. These zones will operate under CCTV surveillance and follow standardised documentation protocols, reducing congestion at head ticket-checking offices and ensuring greater transparency.
Abhishek added that the NAMASTE Abhiyaan will continue with more such surprise drives across key stations in Mumbai to reinforce ticket discipline and improve the overall travel experience for genuine commuters.