Passengers travelling with more luggage than their share of seat should get ready to pay penalty on penalty as the Indian Railways makes its mind up of enforcing the over thirty-year- old rule on the luggage allowed to a passenger. The violation of the rule, which is seen often, will now attract six times the fine that used to be paid by passengers.

The prescribed norms for a sleeper class and second class passenger is 40 kg and 35 kg respectively. If the passengers wish to exceed that limit they can do so by paying extra that would entitle them to carry up to 80 kg and 70 kg respectively.

The biggest decision which will directly affect passengers is the announcement that if the personal luggage of a passenger exceeds the length, width and height  (100cm x 60cm x 25cm) of the luggage permitted than the luggage will have to be transported in luggage van and not the compartment.

"If a passenger is found travelling with un-booked luggage weighing more than the free allowance, the excess weight will be charged six times the luggage rate. The move is to ensure passenger convenience and address the issue of cramped compartments," Ved Prakash, Director, Information and Publicity, Railway Board, said.

A special drive has been launched by the Indian Railways from June 1 to 6 across the various railway zones to ensure that the rules are enforced effectively.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 05, 2018 11:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).