This post is created to clear the doubts and confusion around carrying your cycle in the luggage compartment of a suburban train. I am narrating my experience and deriving conclusions from the same.
We planned to do the Matheran Ghat climb and decided to take our cycles in the luggage compartment of a suburban train from Thane to Neral. We booked single journey tickets for two passengers from Mulund to Karjat from the UTS app. The Thane Karjat train was scheduled to depart from Platform no 1 at 5 am. We took our cycles to the platform and waited for others to board the train. At that moment, a TTE(Travel Ticket Examiner) spotted our cycles and asked if I want to...
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book luggage ticket cycles for the cycles. Please note that he inquired with me in a polite manner and in no way looked at me like I was a ticketless traveler. I replied in affirmative and he created a luggage ticket for us which costed 200 per cycle and booked our cycles in 40kg category. He also mentioned our single journey ticket number on the luggage ticket.
So the conclusion here is that the luggage ticket is available to be booked only through the TTE. Even if you don't have a luggage ticket with you and a TTE spots you, you have to pay the same amount. No excess fare/fine for taking the luggage without ticket. You have to mandatorily take a ticket for yourself otherwise you would be fined.
Some of the open questions that popped up:
1. Is this an excess fare ticket or a proper luggage ticket?
2. Is the luggage ticket available through the counter? If yes, then what is the avg cost? Some members have highlighted it to be Rs.100.
3. If the cycle is dismantled and packed in a box like a suitcase, would it be allowed in the general compartment if it is within the weight allowance?
4. What are the maximum permitted dimensions of luggage that is allowed to be carried in the general second and first class compartments?
5. Is there any official release regarding luggage ticket in suburban trains?
Thanks.