nashik the number of passengers travelling without tickets by trains are on the rise railway officials here said despite regular checks and necessary action by by the travel ticket examiners the number of people travelling in trains without tickets is an increasing trend during the start of financial year the number of people caught without tickets or carrying unbooked luggage has been higher as against the number in the corresponding period last year the number of cases of people caught without tickets in may was however lower this year in may our staffers caught 485 offenders the number in may last year was 966 but the rest of the months the trend was similar more number of people travelling without tickets in fact the figures in 2016 have been highest in the last three years the senior officer saidthe railways registered a less turnout of people this may and officials attributed this to the drought people did not have much money and they travelled less besides the wedding season was also quite low the trains did not face much rush during the season in fact the business in may was lower than what it was in march and april people aimed at moving towards bigger cities instead of going away from nashik an officer said may 2015 witnessed a good rush of people given that the period was out of the simhastha pava kaal when marriages were held at the same time people had money to spend on travel the movement of traffic also brings with it travellers without tickets as well but if there are no travellers in the first place the offenders too stay away the officer said besides the railways has extended the boundaries of the barricades on either sides of the nashik road railway station which has cut down the chances of the people jumping the station premises all the entry points have been closed and they can cite no excuses for moving out the officer added the railway officials said many passengers often make silly excuses i checked in the train just at the time when train was leaving i had no change and the train was about to leave lost my wallet i have a friend in the other coachare some of the common excuses an official said adding that the ticket checking staffers are used to all this we are used to it and understand that many people just dont want to pay for the tickets you can identify those who actually cannot afford to buy tickets he said