Train travel and excess luggage: Do passengers face airport-style charges?

Passengers can carry limited baggage free, but excess weight attracts charges under the railway rules

Indian Railways does allow passengers to carry luggage free of cost, but only up to a defined limit. If you are travelling with more bags than permitted, you may have to pay extra, much like airlines charge for excess baggage at airports. This clarification came last week from Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Lok Sabha while responding to a question on whether Railways follow strict baggage rules for train travellers.

 

The issue is important for passengers planning long journeys, family travel, or relocations, where luggage often exceeds the limit permitted inside a coach.

 

Free luggage allowance depends on your travel class

 

Railways follows a class-wise system for luggage. Each passenger is allowed a certain quantity free of charge, along with an overall maximum limit that cannot be crossed inside the compartment. Any weight beyond this “ceiling” cannot be carried in the coach, regardless of your willingness to pay. It must be booked in the brake van or parcel van.

 

Allowance per travel class

 

·  AC First Class:

 

Free allowance: 70 kg

 

Maximum limit: 150 kg

 

·  First Class / AC 2 Tier:

 

Free allowance: 50 kg

 

Maximum limit: 100 kg

 

·  AC 3 Tier / AC Chair Car:

 

Free allowance: 40 kg

 

Maximum limit: 40 kg

 

·  Sleeper Class:

 

Free allowance: 40 kg

 

Maximum limit: 80 kg

 

·  Second Class:

 

Free allowance: 35 kg

 

Maximum limit: 70 kg

 

The maximum limit includes the free allowance. Anything beyond this cannot be carried inside the passenger coach.

 

What happens if you carry excess luggage?

 

If a passenger carries luggage beyond the free allowance, but within the maximum permitted limit for the class, Railways allows it after payment of a fee. The charge is calculated at 1.5 times the standard luggage rate.

 

This means excess bags are not illegal, but they are chargeable and must be declared. Undeclared excess luggage can attract penalties during checks.

 

Size limits also matter, not just weight

 

Railways also prescribes size limits for items treated as personal luggage. Trunks, suitcases, and boxes are allowed inside passenger compartments only if their external dimensions do not exceed 100 cm × 60 cm × 25 cm.

 

If even one of these dimensions is exceeded, the item must be booked separately.

 

When luggage must go in the brake van

 

Oversized trunks, heavy boxes, or luggage exceeding the class-wise maximum limit cannot be kept near seats or berths. Such items are required to be booked and transported in the brake van (SLR) or parcel van of the train.

 

Railways has also clarified that commercial or merchandise items are not permitted to be carried as personal luggage inside passenger compartments.

 

Things to keep in mind

 

For regular travellers, the rules mean planning luggage carefully, especially on sleeper and second-class journeys. For larger loads, pre-booking luggage through official channels can avoid last-minute hassles, fines, or discomfort during travel.