Bandra stampede: Passenger luggage beyond permissible limit to attract fine

Days after a stampede at the Bandra Terminus in Mumbai, the Western Railway has said a penalty will be imposed if the luggage of passengers exceeds the permissible limit for their respective travel class and urged people not to overcrowd stations.
The Western Railways in an official release said that each passenger is permitted to carry a certain amount of luggage without charge, but items such as scooters and bicycles, as well as consignments exceeding dimensions of 100 cm x 100 cm x 70 cm do not qualify for the free allowance.
“Western Railway urges all passengers to avoid overcrowding at stations and to enter premises only as necessary, in accordance with train schedules, while adhering to the established luggage limits,” the release stated.
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The step has taken to reduce congestion on platforms and facilitate smoother movement for passengers within the station premises, it said.
The classwise maximum limit according to the Ministry of Railways is as follows:
The Western Railway has appealed to all passengers to follow the rules pertaining to carrying the maximum limit of free luggage.
“The free allowance varies for different classes of travel. If the luggage exceeds the marginal free allowance, a penalty will be charged accordingly,” the release said, adding the directive comes into effect immediately and will remain in force till November 8.
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A significant rise has been witnessed in parcel bookings during the festive season, particularly at the parcel offices of the Bandra Terminus, Vapi, Valsad, Udhna and Surat, it said.
The WR noted that the volume of parcels kept stacked on platforms for loading in trains causes inconvenience in passenger movement.
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Considering the safety and security of passengers, instructions have been issued not to stack the parcel consignments on platforms for a long duration before the scheduled departure of a train, the release said.
On Sunday, ten people were injured in a stampede as a large crowd rushed to board the Gorakhpur-bound Antyodaya Express train at Bandra Terminus in Mumbai. In response to the incident, the Western Railway has implemented temporary restrictions on the sale of platform tickets at select major stations, effective until November 8.