Delhi railway fines rise sharply after revised penalty rules take effect

A passenger entering a coach reserved for women without authorisation can now be fined Rs 2,500 on Delhi Division trains, under revised railway penalty provisions in force since June 19.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) said it caught 302 people for the offence in July and collected about Rs 7.5 lakh. In May, before the revised fines took effect, collections for the same offence were Rs 33,000.

Smoking on railway premises now attracts a Rs 2,000 penalty, against an earlier fine of up to Rs 100. Ten people were caught smoking in July, with nearly Rs 20,000 collected.

Collections also increased for trespassing, hawking and begging on railway premises, and disobeying directions issued by railway staff to vehicle drivers or conductors. The RPF collected about Rs 5.9 lakh for trespassing in July, up from Rs 1.5 lakh in May.

Senior divisional security commissioner Ashutosh Pandey said some offences previously handled through criminal fines are now civil penalties, allowing administrative action. The RPF says it has trained personnel and is running enforcement drives at stations and on trains.