Railway Scam: Why Were Indians Pretending to Be Foreign Tourists?

A major scam has been busted in the Sanghamitra Express where Indian passengers were found using the Foreign Tourist Quota. Central Railway caught 121 people travelling without proper documents and collected a fine of ₹3.56 lakh. The railway is now investigating if travel agents are part of this racket.

Mumbai: Central Railway has uncovered a shocking scam where the Foreign Tourist Quota was being misused on its routes. It turns out, Indian passengers were booking tickets under this special quota without having the required documents, just to get confirmed seats. The railway administration has now launched a major crackdown against this.

Scam Uncovered in Sanghamitra Express

The whole thing came to light on May 4, in the Sanghamitra Express (Train No. 12296). Officials found some Indian passengers travelling on tickets reserved under the Foreign Tourist Quota. When asked for the necessary papers, they had none. After this, Central Railway took the matter very seriously and started a deep-dive investigation.

31 Trains Under Scanner

The investigation looked into bookings made between April 24 and June 11, 2026. They found that 174 PNRs were created for 31 different trains under the foreign tourist quota. After analysing all these bookings, they spotted several suspicious transactions.

121 Passengers Caught; Lakhs in Fines

During a special checking drive, officials confirmed that 39 PNRs were booked by misusing the FT quota. A total of 121 passengers were caught travelling illegally this way. The railway authorities charged them a penalty as per the rules, collecting a total of ₹3,56,916 in fines. These passengers were also not allowed to use the reserved berths.

Are Agents Involved? Probe On

Now, the investigation is trying to find out if authorised agents or other groups are involved in this racket. They have asked IRCTC for more details to track down who is making these illegal bookings.

Railway's Appeal to Passengers

Central Railway has made it clear that booking a ticket under a quota you're not eligible for is a punishable offence under the Railway Act. They are urging all passengers to check the rules and make sure they have the right documents before booking a ticket. If you see anything suspicious, you can report it on the 139 helpline or through the Rail Madad app.