Responding to the recent stampede at Mumbai’s Bandra Terminus, Western Railway (WR) has announced that passengers with luggage exceeding the permissible limits for their travel class will face fines, effective until 8th November.
The measure, WR stated on Tuesday, aims to manage congestion on platforms and streamline passenger movement within station premises, particularly as festive travel intensifies.
According to Western Railway's statement, each passenger is allowed to carry a specified amount of luggage free of charge.
However, larger items, including scooters, bicycles, and parcels with dimensions over 100 cm x 100 cm x 70 cm, are excluded from this allowance.
An official WR release noted, “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 move is part of WR’s broader strategy to ensure safer, more accessible platforms, particularly during high-traffic periods such as the current festive season.
WR has observed a significant surge in parcel bookings across major stations like Bandra Terminus, Vapi, Valsad, Udhna, and Surat, creating additional strain on platform space.
To alleviate the resulting congestion, WR has also advised that parcels should not be stacked on platforms for extended periods.
This precaution, WR explained, is designed “considering the safety and security of passengers.”
Further, the Western Railway has issued guidelines that platforms should only hold parcels immediately before scheduled train departures, to prevent obstruction of passenger pathways.
Following Sunday’s stampede at Bandra Terminus, which left ten individuals injured as passengers jostled to board the Antyodaya Express bound for Gorakhpur, WR has additionally imposed temporary restrictions on the sale of platform tickets at selected major stations.
This restriction, like the luggage limit, is expected to remain in force through 8th November.
The recent measures are intended to control overcrowding at stations, WR emphasised.
“The free allowance varies for different classes of travel. If the luggage exceeds the marginal free allowance, a penalty will be charged accordingly,” the statement clarified.
This strategic curb on excess luggage follows a period of heightened demand for both passenger and parcel services across Western Railway’s network, as holiday travel prompts an influx of travellers and goods through the stations.
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