Mumbai: Touts run riot at Kurla terminus; watch video

mid-day reporters talking to the touts at crowded ticket counter at LTT on November 1. Pic/Anurag Ahire

The rush hour to board long-distance trains for Chhath Puja at Mumbai's train termini has now become a playground for railway touts. In light of the recent stampede at Bandra Terminus, mid-day conducted a reality check on whether there was any improvement in the security system since the incident.

On Wednesday, mid-day reported on the chaotic conditions at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), where commuters faced long queues and hours of waiting. Today, we bring you the other side of the story: touts fleecing commuters with promises of securing seats in the general compartment.

Reporters talking to the scalpers to obtain a train ticket; Agent Jeet Singh; Man who introduced himself as manager; Agent Amjad

Our investigation found that some ticket counter employees appear to be involved in a racket, bypassing queues to issue tickets to touts. These agents charge Rs 700 per passenger against the actual cost of Rs 415 for a second-class general ticket from LTT to Gorakhpur but vanish two hours before the journey.

Posing as passengers, mid-day reporters attempted to board the Kushinagar Express from LTT to Gorakhpur on Friday, November 1. While standing in line to purchase tickets, a group of 5-6 touts approached them, offering confirmed seats in the second-class compartment on the Kushinagar train. One agent issued tickets within a minute at counter number 4, bypassing the queue, and assured the reporters that their colleagues would help secure seats in the general compartment. However, by 10 pm, these agents had disappeared from LTT.

The reporters arrived at LTT around 9 pm on November 1, posing as passengers travelling to Gorakhpur on the Kushinagar Express, scheduled to depart at 12.35 am on November 2. Approached by touts offering confirmed seats, the following conversation ensued:

Agent Amjad: Where do you want to go?
Reporter: We want to go to Gorakhpur on the Kushinagar train.
Agent Amjad: We can get you tickets and confirmed seats in the general compartment for Rs 700 per passenger.
Reporter: How much is a single
ticket?
Agent Amjad: R480 per ticket.
Reporter: Can we get a discount?
Agent Amjad: The ticket costs R480; the ticket counter employee takes Rs 100, and we keep Rs 100-120.
Reporter: We'll pay R700, but we want assurance of getting a seat in the general compartment.
Another agent, Jeet Singh, joined to convince the reporters
Agent Jeet Singh: You won't get a ticket from any counter for another two to three hours. We have connections with ticket counter staff and can get you tickets ahead of others. With these tickets, you can go to the station and stand in line.
Reporter: We need assurance of a seat in the general compartment.
Agent Jeet Singh: We are providing you with tickets. With these tickets, you can stand in line before other passengers, and you will easily get a seat on the train. It's 9.15 pm; you won't get tickets from any counter until after 10.30 pm.
Agent Amjad then assured the reporters, saying, "Our person will come on platform number 2-3 around 11 PM and will help you get a seat in the general compartment."
Assured by the agents, the reporters paid Rs 2,100 for three passengers, capturing the transaction on video.
The reporters observed that queues at ticket counters had more than 30-40 passengers each. Jeet Singh bypassed the queue, purchased three tickets in under a minute at counter 4, and handed them to the reporters.
Agent Jeet Singh: "Here are your tickets. Go to platform 3, stand in line, and you'll be first or second in the queue, securing a seat easily."
Upon checking the tickets, the reporters noticed the rate was Rs 415 each. When asked about the markup, the agents explained that Rs 100 went to the ticket counter employee and the remainder was their profit.
Reporter: "We have the tickets, but it's your responsibility to secure us seats in the general compartment."
Assuring the reporters, Jeet Singh gave them his mobile number to build trust.
Agent Amjad: "Don't worry. Go to platform 3. Our colleague will be there at 11 pm to help you find a seat. We can also provide AC and sleeper tickets. This is our daily work."
Several more agents appeared, asking how much Jeet Singh had charged. One of them, claiming to be the touts' manager, inquired how much the reporters had paid, but they declined to answer.
When the reporters finally reached platform 3, they encountered a crowd of thousands. They waited until midnight, but no touts arrived to help them secure seats in the general compartment.

Rs 700
Amount that touts charge each passenger