New Delhi, Dec 05: In a major step to curb ticketless travelling in trains, government tonight decided to increase the fine five fold to Rs 250 on such passengers besides charging single ordinary fare from them for that route. The Railway Act to incorporate these provisions for ticketless travelling would be amended, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj said while briefing reporters on the decisions taken by the union cabinet.

"The five-fold hike in fine is expected to act as a deterrent and go a long way in checking people travelling without tickets or cheat the railways by buying a short distance ticket and undertake a long-distance journey", Swaraj said. Observing that the punishment for ticketless travelling so far was Rs 50 besides charging a single ordinary fare for that route from the offender, she said that the enhanced fine would become applicable by amending sections 137 and 138 of the Railway Act. The amendments would focus on ticketless travelling as also on people purchasing tickets for short journeys while undertaking a long haul, Swaraj said adding that it had been found that ticketless travelling was more rampant on shorter routes.

Bureau Report