One great hindrance for a hassle-free train travel has been the monumental baggage carried by the passengers. No frisking, except a few cursory bag scanning in big stations, has emboldened the commuters to tow baggages into the bogies causing unbearable hardship to co-travellers. Quite often, commuters who occupy a particular bogie, and have every right to place their own bags below the seats, are inconvenienced by others’ bags already kept there, and requests to shift the belongings, are scoffed at with disdain leading to bad blood and heated arguments. People place luggages all over obstructing movement of passengers. The uncountable and bulky bags often obstructed the normal passengers while alighting creating a panic situation for the latter. Now, in a welcome departure, the Railways has decided to enforce its “baggage rules”. The rule is as old as an antique; but the Railways was loathe to heap it on the customers for obvious reasons. If luggages are more than the stipulated norm, then the passengers have to cough up more — six times the luggage fare. Excess baggage demands extra cash which will have to be paid at the parcel office.
The luggage will be loaded on to the train in the luggage van. There will also be a maximum ceiling beyond which no luggage is allowed to be carried. However, no passenger will be frisked at the gate; there will be random checks which puts a question mark over the effectiveness of the baggage rules. On the spot fine, may lead to a row. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) may need much enlightenment on ways to proceed with the abusive commuter. Collecting baggages from the luggage van, or parcel van, at intermediate stations where the trains have brief or very brief halts can pose a problem. Even if the passengers’ property is planned to be handed over to them after some time following the off-loading, and by showing the luggage receipt, regular train commuters can be in great agony till their baggages reach them knowing how our Railways function. The move may “benefit” the much beleaguered Train Ticket Examiner (TTE). Railways has to create an atmosphere of awareness among the public because train travellers come in all hues: rich and poor, literate and illiterate.
