New digital service lets passengers pay for additional cargo

New Delhi – Indian Railways has unveiled a new e‑service that integrates excess‑baggage reservation with ticket booking. Passengers can now select the extra weight they need and clear the dues online, avoiding any separate visit to railway parcel offices.

Previously, anyone wishing to travel with luggage above the free limit had to queue at a parcel counter, fill out forms and make cash payments. The online feature consolidates these steps into a single, paper‑less workflow.

The rollout is restricted to passengers with confirmed tickets and to those travel classes where the railway permits paid extra luggage. Eligible classes are AC First Class, AC 2‑Tier, First Class, Sleeper Class and Second Class. AC 3‑Tier and AC Chair Car are excluded as their free and maximum limits are the same.

Under the current baggage policy, AC First Class passengers enjoy a free allowance of 70 kg and may increase it to 150 kg for a fee. In AC 2‑Tier and First Class, the free limit is 50 kg with a maximum of 100 kg. Sleeper Class has a 40 kg free quota and can be extended to 80 kg, while Second Class offers 35 kg free and up to 70 kg overall.

The railway also sets dimensional caps: standard compartments accept luggage up to 100 cm × 60 cm × 25 cm. For AC 3‑Tier and AC Chair Car, the limit is reduced to 55 cm × 45 cm × 22.5 cm.

Any passenger who exceeds the complimentary weight but stays within the upper ceiling will be required to settle the extra‑baggage charge through the online portal.