Did you know that Indian Railways has set rules for luggage? It must be quite surprising for many! Well, just like the ticket booking rules and reservation rules, there are certain luggage rules that every passenger must follow on each IRCTC train journey. The Indian Railways luggage rules are to be adhered to without failure. Here’s all that you need to know about the luggage rules while travelling on a train in India.
Items That Are Not Allowed in Train
- Offensive articles such as hides, wet skins, etc.
- Explosives and other dangerous and inflammable articles and empty gas cylinders.
- Ghee, oil, grease, paint, etc., if carried in packages that are prone to leakage, breakage or other damages.
- Dry grass, waste paper or leaves.
- Dead poultry & game (shikar).
- Acids or other corrosive substances
If covered properly, ghee up to 20kg per passenger is allowed as luggage with the owner. Empty gas cylinders are allowed if they are booked in brake van.
How Much Weight Can I Carry In Train?
While travelling in a train operated by the Indian Railways, there are certain rules for persons travelling in various compartments of the train.
- A person travelling in a First Class AC compartment can carry 70kg as free luggage and carry a maximum of 150kg.
- A person travelling in an AC-2 tier coach can carry up to 50kg for free and a maximum of 100kg.
- A person travelling in Sleeper class can carry up to 40kg.
- A person travelling in a Second class coach can carry up to 35kg.
Dimensions For Personal Luggage
The luggage, in the form of bags, trunks, suitcases, or other containers, are allowed as personal luggage in the passenger compartments only if the dimensions of the luggage is within the size 100 x 60 x 25 cm. Any luggage that exceeds this size can only be carried in the brake van. For AC-3 tier coaches and AC chair car compartments, the maximum size of the personal luggage is 55 x 45 x 22.5 cm.
Some Indian Railways Luggage Rules You May Not Know
Apart from the above mentioned rules, there are certain items that are not allowed in a train coach, and certain items that are allowed only with prior permission from the railway authorities.
- Merchandised items are not allowed inside the train coaches. However, they can be carried in the brake van with special permission.
- Pets like birds, dogs, cats and fish are not allowed within the coach. For pets, you need to get a booking at the parcel office. The only way to carry a pet with you is to book an entire First Class AC coach.
- Oxygen cylinders and their supporting stands are allowed along with the patients if the relevant medical certificates are produced. These are considered a part of free luggage.
How To Book Tatkal Tickets in Minutes
Charges For Extra Luggage
If a passenger carries extra personal luggage, the charges may vary depending on the extra luggage to be carried and the distance to be travelled. The charges may range between Rs5 and Rs100.
The next time you travel by train, ensure that you follow the luggage rules set by the Indian Railways, and also make sure that the items not allowed in passenger coaches are booked with the brake van.
