What is the fine for hawking in a train?
Hawking or begging on a train or platform carries ₹2,000, and ₹5,000 if repeated.
What it costs
₹2,000, ₹5,000 if repeated
Railways Act, 1989, section 144.
Raised from ₹1,000 on 1 July 2026 under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026. Most pages still quote the old figure.
The rule
Relevant to passengers mainly because it explains why the vendor selling cheaply between coaches disappears when staff walk through, and why buying from them carries a real risk of adulterated food.
Other rules at this stage
Most on-the-spot fines are collected before you ever reach a coach.
A platform ticket is not a travel ticket
A platform ticket lets you see someone off. Boarding on one makes you a ticketless traveller.
₹500, plus the fare
No smoking anywhere on the railway
Smoking on a train or anywhere on railway premises now carries a ₹2,000 fine.
₹2,000
Never carry inflammable or dangerous goods
Gas cylinders, petrol, fireworks, acids and similar goods carry a minimum ₹10,000 fine and can mean imprisonment.
₹10,000, up to 6 months in prison
Book excess luggage before you board
Excess booked in advance costs 1.5 times the luggage rate. The same excess found unbooked costs six times.
Questions
What is the fine for hawking in a train?
Hawking or begging on a train or platform carries ₹2,000, and ₹5,000 if repeated. Relevant to passengers mainly because it explains why the vendor selling cheaply between coaches disappears when staff walk through, and why buying from them carries a real risk of adulterated food.
What is the fine for this in 2026?
₹2,000, ₹5,000 if repeated. This rose from ₹1,000 on 1 July 2026 under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026.
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