India, July 1 -- On a busy morning at Borivali railway station, ticket checking (TCs) staff are on the lookout for commuters - not those without tickets but those who spit and litter on railway premises. The reason is the Western Railway (WR) has ramped up efforts to keep railway property clean.

Due to the increased focus on cleanliness, TCs caught and fined more than 6,000 offenders defacing platforms, the concourse areas and the railway tracks - a ten-fold increase in April and May, compared to the same period last year. Sources in the WR's commercial department said fines range from Rs.200 to Rs.500.

During a recent inspection, WR officials flagged its stations at Borivali, Andheri, Vile Parle, Goregaon, Kandivali, Malad, Bandra, Dad...