If you’ve chosen a train journey over air travel whenever you needed to carry extra baggage over long distances, here’s some not-so-good news for you. The Indian Railways is set to impose charges on those carrying excess baggage, i.e. what is beyond permissible limits, depending on the ticket passengers have booked. Here’s all that you need to know. By Anushka Goel
Train journeys are always fun, and what makes them more special, especially when travelling long distances or for special events, is the fact that they allow one to carry a lot more luggage as compared to flights, or what is possible by road journeys. However, seeing that people have been misusing this facility, Indian Railways has decided to impose a hefty fine of upto six times the prices of extra luggage allowance in case travellers are found misusing the luggage allowance policies, as per latest updates.
IRCTC to fine train travellers with excess baggage
How much luggage is allowed in train?
अगर सामान होगा ज्यादा, तो सफर का आनंद होगा आधा!
अधिक सामान ले कर रेल यात्रा ना करें। सामान अधिक होने पर पार्सल कार्यालय जा कर लगेज बुक कराएं। pic.twitter.com/gUuishbqr5
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) May 29, 2022
The Ministry of Railways recently tweeted, urging people to pre-book their excess luggage via the parcel office to avoid last-minute expenses and hustle. As of now, based on the coaches one is travelling in, there is a different limit for baggage allowances. It is as follows:
- AC First Class: 70 kg is allowed for free, while there is a marginal allowance for 15 kg. In total, customers can buy and carry maximum of 150 kgs.
- AC 2-Tier sleeper/First Class: A maximum of 50 kg of luggage is allowed for free, with a marginal quantity of 10 kg. Up to 100 kgs can be carried per person, including free allowance and excess baggage.
- AC 3-Tier sleeper/AC Chair Car: 40 kg is the free allowance with a 10 kg marginal allowance. A total of 40 kg is what is permitted for travellers.
- Sleeper Class: Travellers can carry 40 kgs, with a 10 kg marginal allowance. The total quantity, including excess baggage in the train journey, is 80 kgs.
- Second class: Passengers can carry 35 kg free of cost, plus a scope of 10 kg as marginal allowance. The total baggage allowed per passenger, including extra weight, is 70 kg maximum.
How to book excess baggage
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Passengers can book their extra baggage while booking their train tickets online, or minimum 30 minutes before the train’s departure. The luggage can be booked for as low as INR 30, and passengers will need to ensure their baggage is packed and sealed properly before booking it for the train journey.
Hero and Featured Image: Courtesy of Shutterstock
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