Indian Railways excess luggage penalty: What train passengers will have to pay now
Indian Railways is striving hard to provide passengers an airline-like experience, but that is likely to be a costly affair, therefore, the national carrier has decided to strictly enforce its over-30-year-old baggage allowance rules besides imposing penalty like airlines too! Among the measures is the provision to push excess luggage in the luggage van, and charge the passengers for carrying un-booked extra luggage. Here are the measures that Indian Railways may take:
1. Passengers will now have to pay up to 6 times the stipulated amount as penalty, if caught travelling with excess luggage. Image source: Reuters
2. A sleeper class and a second class passenger can carry luggage weighing 40 kg and 35 kg respectively. Image source: Reuters
3. He can also carry a maximum of 80 kg and 70 kg respectively by paying for the excess luggage. Image source: Reuters
4. Indian Railways will put the excess luggage in the luggage van. Image source: Reuters
5. Passengers are allowed carry excess luggage on payment of a fee equal to one-and-a-half times luggage rate. Image source: Reuters
6. If a passenger is caught with un-booked extra luggage, the excess weight will be charged 6 times the luggage rate. Image source: Reuters
7. Railways stated that this will ease cramped compartments, suggesting that luggage will not be weighed like airlines. Image source: Reuters
8. Indian Railways will carry out random checks and if a passenger is found travelling 500 km with luggage weighing 80 kg in the sleeper class, he can book excess baggage of 40 kg for Rs 109 in the luggage van. Image source: Reuters
9. If passenger fails to follow that norm and is caught with the excess luggage, he will have to pay a penalty of Rs 654. Image source: Reuters
10. Trunks, suitcases and boxes must adhere to the prescribed measurements of 100cm x 60cm x 25cm (length, breadth, height) too. Image source: Reuters