Most of us have faced it before: Climbing into a train compartment and finding previous occupants hogging all the available baggage space with their gazillion bags. Those days may be over. Following numerous complaints about this problem, the Railways has now decided to rectify things by penalising those carrying excess baggage. Actually, this is not a new rule. The Indian Railways has merely decided to start strictly enforcing its over-three-decades-old baggage allowance rules, which will see passengers paying up to six times the stipulated amount as penalty if caught travelling with excess baggage. According to the prescribed norms, an AC first class passenger can carry 70 kg of luggage for free and a maximum of 150 kg, after paying a fee for the excess 80 kg. The free and maximum weights for AC two-tier passengers stand at 50 kg and 100 kg, respectively.
Similarly, a sleeper class and a second class passenger can carry luggage weighing 40 kg and 35 kg, respectively, without paying any extra money. The maximum weight permitted - after paying for the excess luggage at the parcel office - stands at 80 kg in the sleeper class and 70 kg in second class. Any excess luggage would have to be put in the luggage/brake van.
So, for example, if a passenger is travelling 500 km with luggage weighing 80 kg in the sleeper class, he can book his excess baggage of 40 kg for Rs 109 in the luggage van. But, if he fails to pay up and is caught with the excess luggage, he will end up paying a penalty of Rs 654. According to officials, the railways will carry out random checks among the passengers, unlike airlines that weigh the luggage of each passenger.
"The rules were already in place, we are just enforcing them strictly now. Passengers are allowed to book and carry excess luggage in the luggage van, up to the maximum limit, on the payment of a fee equivalent to one-and-a-half times the luggage rate," said Ved Prakash, director, Information and Publicity, Railway Board. "If a passenger is found travelling with un-booked luggage weighing more than the free allowance, the excess weight will be charged six times the luggage rate. The move is to ensure passenger convenience and address the issue of cramped compartments," he added.
The railways will also henceforth ensure that trunks, suitcases and boxes adhere to the prescribed measurements of 100 cm x 60 cm x 25 cm (length, breadth, height) for personal luggage to be carried in the compartments. According to Prakash, if any baggage exceeds even one of the above-mentioned dimensions, it will need to be booked and carried in the luggage van. The maximum size of the trunks/suitcase than can be carried in the AC-3 tier and AC chair Car compartment is 55 cm x 45 cm x 22.5 cm.
The national transporter had launched a special drive from June 1 - ending today - across all its zones to enforce the rules.
(With PTI inputs)