Western Railway plans to buy 1,000 body cameras for ticket checkers in Mumbai

Ticket checking on Mumbai's local trains is set to become stricter, and the safety of railway staff will also be strengthened. Western Railway (WR) plans to buy 1,000 body cameras for its ticket checkers. The decision follows two incidents in which women ticket checkers were allegedly attacked while confronting passengers travelling without valid tickets.

The effect of the body cameras is already visible. Western Railway is running a special ticket-checking drive across Mumbai, which began on October 31 and will continue until November 14. In its first three days, teams with body cameras caught about 1,400 ticketless passengers a day, against a usual figure of about 300.

Western Railway currently has 15 body cameras. Each camera is assigned to one ticket examiner, who wears a black jacket made specially for it. Footage from the cameras will also be used to train ticket-checking staff to handle difficult situations.

Concern over staff safety

The move comes at a time of growing concern over the safety of ticket checkers on Mumbai's suburban railway network. Within three weeks, two women ticket checkers were allegedly attacked in separate incidents at Kandivali and Andheri. They show how difficult it is for railway staff to enforce ticketing rules and collect penalties.

The latest incident took place at Andheri station on November 4. According to the FIR, Harpreet Kaur, a 42-year-old ticket checker, boarded a Bandra-Virar local at 8:26 am and found a woman passenger travelling without a ticket. Both got off at Andheri at about 8:42 am, where the passenger was asked to pay a penalty of Rs 510. The passenger reportedly asked for a digital scanner to pay, but an argument began and turned physical. The woman passenger allegedly bit and scratched the ticket checker, who was injured.

The Kandivali incident

Earlier, on October 16, a woman ticket checker was also reported to have been assaulted at Kandivali station. Ticket-checking staff stopped a woman passenger travelling without a ticket and asked her to pay a fine of Rs 510. The passenger allegedly tried to run away, and the ticket checker tried to stop her. In the scuffle both women fell, and their clothes were slightly torn. Later a crowd gathered outside the ticket-checking office and tension rose. Some people demanded a public apology for the railway staff's alleged misbehaviour.

After these two incidents, the demand for better protection for ticket checkers has grown louder. They often face confrontation while checking on crowded suburban trains and platforms.

Camera tests and the way ahead

Western Railway proposed body cameras for ticket-checking staff in mid-2025. To pick the right equipment for railway work, officials looked at several models, including devices used in private hospitals and shopping malls. Early trials ran into technical problems, as some cameras reportedly overheated during long recordings. After further testing, officials chose new models that are light, durable and built for long use. Each device costs about Rs 10,000.

The cameras are expected to provide a direct record of interactions between ticket checkers and passengers. This could help railway officials investigate complaints, establish the actual facts in disputes and improve staff training.

Western Railway had earlier also carried out a five-day intensive ticket inspection in Kandivali, where teams reportedly caught 800 to 1,000 ticketless passengers a day. With plans to expand the initiative, Western Railway aims to curb ticketless travel on Mumbai's suburban network and improve the safety of staff who enforce ticketing rules.