New Delhi: Like airlines, carrying extra luggage on railways will now involve extra charges and a penalty. For decades, the railways have been lenient about passenger luggage -- so much so that many passengers are not even aware how much baggage they are allowed to carry. Railway officials say the laxity has led to enormous quantities of luggage being carried, and a resulting barrage of complaints from fellow passengers.
Like airlines, railway rules say there are extra charges for the excess baggage, though at a lower rate. Extra luggage has to be booked in advance, and it has to be stowed in the luggage van.
Now, officials say excess baggage carried without paying fees will draw a penalty - the amount will be six times the fee, officials said.
The railways will start enforcing the rules through a special drive in the first week of June across all zones. Unlike at airports, where luggage of each passenger is weighed, the railways will depend on random checks. And besides the weight, they will also check for baggages that are bulky.
"The rules were already in place, we are just enforcing them strictly now," Ved Prakash, a senior official of the Railway Board's Information department was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.
According to the rules, a passenger in first class air-conditioned compartment is allowed 70 kg of luggage for free and a maximum of 150 kg. An AC two-tier passenger can carry 50 kg of luggage for free and a maximum of 100 kg. A sleeper class and a second class passenger can carry luggage weighing upto 40 kg and 35 kg. The maximum baggage allowed is 80 kg and 70 kg.
Railbeeps.com is fastest mobile friendly website which provides answers to enquiries related to Indian Railways like PNR status, live train running status, trains between two stations and more.
Like airlines, railway rules say there are extra charges for the excess baggage, though at a lower rate. Extra luggage has to be booked in advance, and it has to be stowed in the luggage van.
The railways will start enforcing the rules through a special drive in the first week of June across all zones. Unlike at airports, where luggage of each passenger is weighed, the railways will depend on random checks. And besides the weight, they will also check for baggages that are bulky.
Advertisement
According to the rules, a passenger in first class air-conditioned compartment is allowed 70 kg of luggage for free and a maximum of 150 kg. An AC two-tier passenger can carry 50 kg of luggage for free and a maximum of 100 kg. A sleeper class and a second class passenger can carry luggage weighing upto 40 kg and 35 kg. The maximum baggage allowed is 80 kg and 70 kg.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Railway Recruitment Cell Invites Applications For 4,096 Apprentice Positions Aiming To Achieve Net Zero Emission In Railways By 2030: PM Modi Mumbai Man Kills Friend Over Auto Rickshaw Fare, Arrested Parents Gave Names Of Interns, Doctors To CBI In Kolkata Horror: Sources How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death "Strong Indications" Bangladesh Security Forces Used "Unnecessary" Force: UN Delhi Experienced 15 Consecutive Days Of Rainfall, Says Weather Department Pilot Dies After Plane Crashes During Aerobatic Show In France Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.