The action is based on Section 145(2) of the Railways Act, 1989, which covers passengers who cause a nuisance or disturbance to others. The section already allowed action against such behaviour but did not clearly state a penalty. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 changed that.

Under the amended provision, a passenger found creating a nuisance can be fined ₹1,000. Their ticket can also be cancelled and they can be removed from the train.

Passengers who ignore a warning from the Travelling Ticket Examiner or another authorised railway official face a harsher penalty. They can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to ₹5,000, or both.

Using earphones is allowed. Watching videos, listening to music and making calls remain fine as long as nobody else is disturbed.

Southern Railway’s circular

The latest push comes from Southern Railway. Its commercial department issued a circular saying that cheap, fast mobile internet has led to a sharp rise in people playing videos and songs on speaker mode on trains and at stations.

Staff at stations and on trains have been told to make regular announcements in regional languages, Hindi and English, asking passengers to use earphones and keep calls short and quiet.

None of this is entirely new. In 2012 the Railway Board issued guidelines against loud phone conversations, long calls and noisy ringtones in coaches. The difference now is that the nuisance provision has a clear penalty attached.