nchkula, July 27 -- Travelling without a ticket, entering coaches reserved for women, creating a nuisance in trains or stations, or carrying prohibited goods by rail will now invite substantially higher penalties following sweeping amendments to the Railways Act, 1989, brought into force under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026.
The revised provisions significantly increase fines for various passenger-related offences, while serious violations can attract imprisonment of up to one year. One of the most significant changes relates to ticketless travel. Under the amended Section 137, the minimum excess charge for travelling or attempting to travel without a valid ticket or pass with intent to defraud the railway administrati...