Ramgarh: The Dhanbad Division of East Central Railway (ECR) collected Rs 4,40,577 as fine from 514 passengers caught travelling without tickets or proper authority during a mega checking drive conducted on Wednesday across various railway routes.The drive covered mail and express trains as well as stations under a planned day-and-night programme. Checking teams carried out intensive inspections in different mail and express trains to curb ticketless and irregular travel.During the drive, passengers were found travelling without tickets, travelling without proper authority and carrying unbooked luggage. Railway officials recovered the fine amount from the offenders and strictly instructed them to travel with proper tickets in future.Senior divisional commercial manager and chief public relations officer Manish Saurabh said ticket checking is being conducted continuously by Dhanbad Division and will continue in future as well to provide a safe and comfortable journey to bonafide passengers.Earlier, on August 22, a total of 567 ticketless passengers were caught during a similar mega checking drive, and Rs 4.87 lakh was collected as fine.Officials said heavy rush was seen at unreserved ticket counters during Wednesday’s checking drive, indicating growing awareness among passengers. Dhanbad division appealed to passengers to enter platforms only with proper tickets and to travel only in the class for which they have purchased tickets. The campaign was part of sustained efforts to prevent revenue leakage, discourage irregular journeys and ensure facilities remain available for genuine rail users.
