IRCTC Issues Warning:

In a recent incident in Pune, a passenger travelling on a suburban local train raised concerns when a ticket checker allegedly collected a fine via her personal Google Pay account instead of using the official payment methods set by the railways. The incident occurred on the Pune-Akurdi route under the Pune railway division on Monday.

IRCTC Issues Warning:

The passenger Shubham Rathi explained that he had misplaced his ticket during the journey. Upon reaching Akurdi station, he was issued a ₹510 fine. However, instead of being asked to pay through the railway’s official digital payment platform, the ticket checker asked him to transfer the fine amount to her personal UPI account.

Railway rules clearly stipulate that fines should either be collected in cash or through an authorised digital payment method. When contacted, Hemantkumar Behera, the spokesperson for the Pune railway division confirmed the occurrence. He explained that a technical issue had prevented the staff from processing the fine through the railway’s online portal, and the passenger did not have cash on hand. As a result fine was transferred through the ticket checker’s personal Google Pay account.

Although an Electronic Fine Ticket (EFT) was issued, practice was deemed improper. Behera acknowledged that this was against railway regulations and stated that the staff member involved had been warned. He stated that no fine payments should be accepted on personal accounts under any circumstances. The railway authorities have promised to review and strengthen their protocols to avoid such lapses in the future especially in cases where online payment systems face technical issues.

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