If you’re a fan of carrying all your household items with you while traveling by train, this news may surprise you. Indian Railways has made significant changes to luggage rules. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw clarified in Parliament that, like airports, a separate fee will now be charged for extra luggage on trains.
If you’re found carrying more than the prescribed weight limit, you could face a fine of one and a half times the normal amount. This new system applies equally to all classes: sleeper, AC, and general. In this article, we’ll explore in detail how much luggage you can carry for free in each coach and how much you could incur for breaking the rules.
Railway’s luggage rules become stricter
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav informed the Lok Sabha that the railways already had weight limits, but now these rules are being enforced more strictly. The main reason for this is passenger safety and controlling unwanted overcrowding within coaches. Passengers often bring heavy trunks and large suitcases into the coach, making it difficult for fellow passengers to sit and walk in the aisles.
Now, the Railways has clarified that if the weight limit is exceeded, you will have to loosen your purse strings. This rule also serves as a serious lesson for those who carry business goods or merchandise in passenger coaches under the guise of personal travel.
Special rules for Sleeper and Second Class
Up to 40 kg of luggage is completely free for ordinary passengers traveling in Sleeper Class, the most popular coach of the train. If you wish to carry more luggage than this, you must pay a fee in advance, after which you can carry a maximum of 80 kg.
The free limit for general coaches, i.e., Second Class, is the lowest, at just 35 kg. This can be increased to a maximum of 70 kg with payment. Remember that if you haven’t booked extra luggage and the TTE detects it during checking, the penalty will be heavy on your pocket.
Free Luggage Limit for AC Class Passengers
First AC passengers are offered the most concessions by the Railways, with luggage up to 70 kg completely free. Here, you can carry up to 150 kg for an additional fee. For Second AC passengers, the free limit is 50 kg, which can be increased to 100 kg with payment.
However, the rules have been tightened for the AC 3-tier and chair car. Only 40 kg of luggage is allowed here, a strict limit beyond which it will not be possible to carry luggage. Passengers in these classes will have to book their extra luggage in the railway’s brake van or parcel van.
Suitcase and trunk size will also be checked
The Railway Minister clarified that now not only the weight but also the dimensions of your luggage will be considered. Only suitcases or trunks that are within 100 centimeters in length, 60 centimeters in width, and 25 centimeters in height will be allowed inside the coach.
If your box or suitcase exceeds this limit, it will not be allowed inside the coach, even if its weight is within the limit. Such large items must be booked in the railway’s brake van or parcel van. Furthermore, carrying commercial items, such as large bundles or raw materials, as personal luggage is now completely prohibited.
Penalty for breaking the rules
The Railways has issued a strict warning that if a passenger ignores these rules and is caught traveling with luggage in excess of the prescribed limit without a booking, they will be charged a penalty of one and a half times the normal fare.
This penalty is the same as for being caught without a platform ticket or without a train ticket. Therefore, it would be a smart decision to check the weight and size of your bags at home before arriving at the station. To avoid any kind of argument or rush at the station, take the help of the parcel office.