Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, July 31: Indian Railways has launched its online excess luggage booking facility, enabling passengers with confirmed reserved tickets to book excess personal luggage while reserving their train tickets through the IRCTC portal.

The new digital service is designed to make rail travel more convenient by allowing passengers to declare and book luggage exceeding the free baggage allowance during ticket reservation itself, eliminating the need to visit parcel offices before commencing their journey.

Until now, passengers carrying luggage beyond the permitted free limit were required to report to the parcel office at the originating station to book their baggage. Excess luggage that was not booked in advance could also attract penalties if detected during the journey or at the destination station.

With the launch of the new facility, passengers can now access complete information before travel, including class-wise free baggage allowances, maximum permissible weight limits, restricted items, applicable freight charges and penalty provisions, enabling them to comply with railway regulations in advance.

How to book luggage online?

Passengers can complete the booking process by following these steps:

• Visit www.parcel.indianrail.gov.in.
• Register and log in to the portal.
• Enter the originating and destination railway stations.
• Select the train from the list displayed.
• Fill in the online booking form (Forwarding Note) with parcel details.
• The system will display the approximate freight charges.
• Submit the online Forwarding Note.
• Take a printout of the e-Forwarding Note and submit the parcel at the parcel office (godown) at the originating station.
• Railway staff will weigh the parcel and calculate the final freight charges.
• Pay the applicable freight charges and collect the Railway Receipt (RR).
• Track the parcel online using the Track & Trace facility.
• An SMS alert will be sent once the parcel reaches the destination station.
• Produce the original Railway Receipt at the destination station to collect the parcel.

Free luggage allowance

The class-wise free luggage allowance and maximum permissible limits are as follows:

• AC First Class: 70 kg free; up to 150 kg permitted on payment of excess luggage charges.
• First Class and AC 2-Tier: 50 kg free; up to 100 kg permitted on payment.
• Sleeper Class: 40 kg free; up to 80 kg permitted with applicable charges.
• Second Class: 35 kg free; up to 70 kg permitted with applicable charges.
• AC 3-Tier, AC 3 Economy and AC Chair Car: Free allowance and maximum permissible limit are both 40 kg. Since the free allowance is equal to the maximum permitted limit, booking excess luggage is not permitted in these classes.

Luggage size limits:

Indian Railways has also prescribed maximum luggage dimensions inside coaches:

• AC 3-Tier, AC 3 Economy and AC Chair Car: 55 cm × 45 cm × 22.5 cm.
• AC First Class, AC 2-Tier, First Class, Sleeper Class and General Class: 100 cm × 60 cm × 25 cm.

Excess luggage charges:

Passengers carrying luggage beyond the free allowance are required to pay freight at 1.5 times the normal luggage rate. The minimum luggage charge is Rs 30, calculated in slabs of 10 kg, while the minimum chargeable distance is 50 km.

The online booking system is expected to make railway travel more convenient by reducing queues at parcel offices, improving transparency in luggage booking and enabling passengers to complete baggage formalities well before departure.