Mumbai: The Central Railway (CR) launched the Lucky Yatri Yojana on March 20, an initiative designed to curb ticketless travel by turning every valid train ticket into a potential cash prize. More than a week into the scheme, no commuter has yet claimed the daily Rs 10,000 reward or the weekly Rs 50,000 jackpot.
The initiative aims to incentivise passengers to buy tickets by offering monetary rewards. Commuters can check if their Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) number was selected as a winner by visiting www.luckyyatra.com. To claim the prize, they must enter their mobile number, verify with a one-time password (OTP), and upload their winning ticket.
A CR official involved in the scheme said, “So far, no one has claimed the reward, but efforts are being made to raise awareness so that more commuters participate.”
Many daily passengers are still unaware of the scheme or unsure about how to claim their winnings. Nitin Kadam, a commuter from Kalyan, said, “I heard about this scheme from a friend, but I wasn’t sure if it was real. Now that I know, I’ll definitely check my ticket every day.”
Despite CR’s extensive ridership—about 40 lakh passengers daily—a significant number still travel without tickets. Estimates suggest that nearly 20% of commuters are ticketless on any given day. During routine checks, authorities catch between 4,000 and 5,000 such violators daily.
For railway authorities, the scheme is a strategic move to encourage responsible travel. “We hope this will not only reward honest passengers but also reduce ticketless travel significantly,” said an official.
The Lucky Yatri Yojana is an eight-week-long initiative and a first-of-its-kind experiment on Indian Railways. Sponsored by FCB Communication Pvt Ltd, the scheme is offered at no extra cost to passengers.
Vasai resident Preeti Shah welcomed the initiative, saying, “If I win, it would be like getting my entire year’s travel expenses covered! I’ll definitely keep checking my tickets now.”
With increased awareness, CR officials hope more passengers will come forward to claim their winnings, making ticketed travel not just responsible but rewarding.