Indian Railway is believed to be major mode of transport amongst Indian population. People traveling via trains tend to carry a lot of Luggage along with them and this not only causes a lot of hassle on the platforms but also to the fellow travelers in the train which they are boarding. Sometimes, one might have faced situation where you have been confronted by some railway official regarding the amount of luggage you have been carrying. Such instances leave you perplexed and intrigued in the mids of your travel. Well there are certain guidelines/rules which every Indian Railway traveler ought to be aware of which planning for their journey.

Indian Railways has introduced some new rules and added a bit to the already prevailing ones. Here’re the list of all the rules pertaining to luggage carrying in Indian railways. We are sure that this will help you in avoiding any confrontation from now onwards and make you a better Indian citizen as well. So, here we go:

• AC First Class passengers can carry 70 KG luggage for free and a maximum of 150 KG by paying for the extra weight at the parcel office. The marginal allowance on the luggage weight would be 15 KG.
• AC Two Tier passengers would be allowed 50 KG luggage for free (with marginal luggage weight allowance of 10 KG) and they can carry a maximum of 100 KG by paying for the extra weight at the station’s luggage/parcel office.
• Passengers travelling in AC III or AC Chair Car can carry a luggage of 40 KG for free (with marginal luggage weight allowance of 10 KG) and they would be permitted a maximum carrying limit of 40 KG.
• Sleeper class passengers would be allowed a luggage weight of 40 KG for free (with marginal luggage weight allowance of 10 KG), and a maximum quantity of 80 KG weighing luggage can be carried after paying for the excess.
• Passengers in the Second class would be allowed a maximum luggage weight limit of 35 KG for free (with marginal luggage weight allowance of 10 KG). They can however carry a maximum of 70 KG by paying for the excess luggage at luggage/parcel office.
• Children aged between 5 and below 12 years would be allowed only half of the free luggage allowance for their respective class. The free allowance in such instances cannot exceed 50 KG in weight.
• Railways has also defined the dimensions for personal luggage. The trunks, suitcases or boxes that you carry in the train should be within the prescribed measurement of: 100 cm x 60 cm x 25 cm (length, breadth, height). Luggage exceeding these measurements would be send to the Luggage van (even if they are within the free limit).

So now that you are aware regarding what would Railway consider as extra luggage, you must be wondering as what you need to do if you have a toll of luggage at your perusal which you can’t let them go. How to book those extra luggage during your train journey?

• Visit the railway station (your boarding point) early and enquire about the Luggage/Parcel office. (NOTE: Excess luggage needs to be booked at least 30 minutes before the departure of the train, allowing the owner to place them safely in the Luggage van before the train starts.)
• Fill in the declaration form for extra baggage and get it weighed.
• Pay the difference in fare and get the slip certifying the booking of extra luggage.
• This slip should be kept close by and shown to the TTE when needed.
• Once booked, the extra luggage would be sent to the brake van. The extra luggage cannot be carried along in the regular train compartment.

NOTE: Minimum charges for extra luggage bookings start from INR 30 upwards (depending on the weight of the luggage).

In case If a passenger is found with un-booked extra luggage, the person could be fined six times more than the original booking rates. So, it is essential for all the passengers to scrutinize the weight of their luggage before leaving home.

While you may consider your every belonging as a valid form of luggage. Indian Railways has laid certain guidelines in this regard too, as what you might not be able to carry along with you via trains. Here is a list of the same:

• You all know that explosives and inflammable items cannot be carried in a train. Similarly, any commodity having acid or inflammable gas content or deemed dangerous for the well-being of the co-passengers cannot be carried on trains.
• Oxygen cylinders with the supporting stand can be carried by patients in all classes. But medical certificates need to be furnished for such a privilege. The oxygen cylinder along with its stand, when allowed, would be part of the free luggage allowance.
• No merchandised items are allowed as a part of the personal luggage. You need to seek special booking for these and they have to be carried in the Luggage Van.
• Offensive or derogatory items carried by the passengers, which hurts the sentiments of the co-passengers can also be treated as a violation of the luggage carrying code.
• Birds, fishes, dogs or cats are not allowed within a train’s coach. You have to get a booking for them in the Parcel office. The only other way is to book an entire AC First Class.

Being aware will make your travel plans easier. An informed citizen is always better than landing yourself into limbo. So keep these rules handy while traveling next time via Indian Railways.

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