Guwahati: Indian Railways ticketing system represents a substantial challenge, particularly during peak travel periods persisting of ticket touting and black marketing. These illicit activities not only compromise the equitable access to tickets for legitimate passengers but also undermine public confidence in the railway system. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is always proactive and engaged to address this problem and to ensure fair access to railway services.

Railway Protection Force’s Cyber cells has been conducting regular raids and crackdowns by examining booking patterns to identify anomalies and conduct pinpointed operations targeting ticket counters and cybercafés. RPF has equipped its Cyber cells with state-of-the-art software and hardware to track and dismantle ticketing syndicates effectively. RPF conducts continuous digital surveillance of online booking platforms by utilizing advanced technological tools. This technological advancement enables the force to counter increasingly sophisticated touting networks. RPF monitors suspicious activities, including bulk bookings and irregular transactions, and deploying CCTV at ticket counters to detect and prevent black marketing effectively.

RPF collaborates closely with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to identify and deactivate suspicious accounts. This collaborative initiative seeks to prevent the misuse of both agent and personal user IDs, ensuring more secure and transparent ticketing system. RPF conducts educational campaigns across various media platforms acknowledging the importance of public awareness. These initiatives inform passengers about reporting unauthorized activities and emphasize the significance of booking tickets through official and authorized channels. These strategic initiatives undertaken by the RPF have yielded significant results. Numerous high-profile touting syndicates have been dismantled, and thousands of offenders have been apprehended. These efforts have led to the recovery of large quantities of illegal tickets, thereby curbing large-scale black marketing.

In future the RPF plans to integrate more advanced technologies like Advanced AI & Machine learning which will scrutinize booking behaviors to identify anomalies indicative of touting activities. Real Time Fraud detection system will be implemented to detect and halt suspicious transactions in real time. Dynamic IP Monitoring system will also be implemented to identify and block multiple bookings originating from the same IP address or utilizing VPNs. Facial recognition, Fingerprint scanning will also be implemented to ensure passenger verification and enhance the authenticity of transactions.

The Railway Protection Force’s robust and comprehensive approach to addressing ticket touting underscores its unwavering commitment to fairness and transparency in railway ticketing operations. By leveraging advanced technologies, fostering collaboration with relevant agencies, and engaging the public, the RPF continues to play a pivotal role in mitigating black marketing. As these strategies evolve, they promise a more secure and equitable railway system, ensuring a seamless and fair travel experience for all passengers

In the year 2024, all over India, a total of 4725 Illegal Touting cases were registered in which 4975 illegal touts were arrested with the seizure of 1,24,529 tickets value 53.38 Cr. and blocked 26,442 IRCTC IDs and also blocked illegal software’s used for bulk and tatkal bookings.