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The following topics relating to Indian Railways are briefly discussed on this page, click on for more...

Indian Railways Passenger Facilities 

Personal Baggage

Free personal baggage allowances are 70kg in AC First Class, 50kg in First Class and AC 2-tier Sleepers, 40kg in AC 3-tier sleepers, AC Chair Car, Sleeper class and 35kg in Second Class. Children aged between 5-12 are allowed half of the free allowance. If the baggage exceeds this limit, it has to be weighed in advance at the station and booked into the luggage van  attached to the train. This ensures that the personal baggage reaches the correct destination along with the passengers. Please also note that scooters and cycles etc cannot be considered in the category of free baggage.

In case the luggage is stolen , please contact the train conductor/coach attendant or guards. They will give you the form for filling out the FIR (first information report) and the matter will be investigated by the Railway Police.

Bed Rolls

Indian Railways supplies bed rolls at all important stations free to to AC first class and AC Tier and AC 3-Tier. First Class passengers are charged Rs. 20  per bed roll per night. Please contact the Station Manager and submit a requisition for it before commencing the journey. 

Cloak Rooms 

Indian Railways provides cloak rooms facilities at major stations for any period up to one month on payment of prescribed charges. Cloak rooms charges vary. Only luggage that has been locked will be accepted in the cloak rooms.

Waiting Rooms 

Waiting rooms are available at major stations for use by genuine passengers. These can be used free of charge on production of your train ticket.

Retiring Rooms 

Indian Railways provides AC and Non-AC  retiring rooms and Dormitory facilities at most important stations. Rooms are normally allotted to passengers holding valid tickets on payment of prescribed charges. The allotment is done by the station manager or Matron of the station concerned and they need to be contacted to find out about availability and charges. There are other Railway owned and operated properties catering to passengers-Rail Yatri Niwas in New Delhi and Railway Hotels at Ranchi, Bihar and Puri, Orissa.

Catering 

Indian Railways provides pantry car facilities on long-distance trains and on selected important short-distance trains. The details of trains offering Pantry car service is indicated in the railway timetables with the letter P. Dinner and lunches, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian are arranged against orders and supplied in containers. Even if there is no pantry car on a train, arrangements are made to serve food from station en route. A railway employee will usually come to your seat at some point during your journey and ask if you want to place an order. You are expected to pay in cash immediately. Your seat number will be recorded and the food brought to you when it is food distribution time. The food usually is Indian cuisine.

If you are concerned about hygiene and the kind of food you eat, look for Indian Railways endorsed sellers at major stations, the food is always hygienic. Sandwiches etc will come packaged in a white packet with the regional railway name and logo. You can then check out the various eateries in the station  and judge for yourself. Mineral water is sold in bottles everywhere. On major trains (Shatabdi Express and Rajdhani Express and some others) you even get a free complementary bottle. 

Medical Aid 

In the unlikely event that medical aid is required on account of sudden injury or illness, the guard coach attendant, or station master at a major station may be contacted and t hey will make the necessary arrangements for treatment. The Guards, Conductors or Coach attendants are equipped with First Aid boxes and are trained to provide first aid to passengers. Medical treatment will be provided by the doctor on payment of reasonable charges. Details of medical practitioners and hospitals along with their addresses are displayed at major stations. Medicines for common ailments are available at all major stations for a small charge. 

Other passenger amenities

Self help trolleys are available at major stations for the convenience of passengers with heavy baggage. There are also wheelchairs and stretchers available , please contact the station manager for it.

Public Grievances

There are Public Grievance Redressal Booths at major stations for addressing public complaints.

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 Indrail Pass

Indrail Passes can be purchased by foreign nationals and non-resident Indians. Payment is accepted in US dollars, pound sterling and other convertible foreign currency in cash, travelers cheques and credit cards.

 An Indrail Pass enables the holder to travel as he likes, from any point of origin, in any train,  in the class it is issued for, within the period of validity. Passes are available from half-day to 90 days duration and can be used within one year of issue.

 The validity period starts from the date of the first train journey and last journey should be commenced before  the midnight of the last day.

Request for reservation can be made through the nearest General Sales Agents abroad. No reservation fee,  super-fast charge or surcharge for the journey need be paid.

    Indrail Pass Fare in US Dollars per pass  

* For sale only by General Sales Agents overseas

For the sale of Indrail Passes, the Indian Railways have GSAs in Australia, Canada, France, Thailand, the USA, Mauritius, Malaysia, Japan, England, Germany, Finland, the UAE,  Oman and Bangladesh.

Indrail passes are also available for sale at the Railway Reservation Offices at :
Agra Cantt., Agra City, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Bangalore City, Calcutta, Chandigarh, Chennai, Gorakhpur, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Mumbai, New Delhi, Puttaparti Town Booking Agency, Rameshwaram, Secunderabad, Trivandrum Central and Vadodara.

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List of General  Sales Agents  for INDRAIL PASS

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International Tourist BureauI

The International Tourist Bureau at New Delhi railway station is open to International tourists intending to travel by rail in India. It is open between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on all days except Sunday. The bureau provides assistance to foreign tourists and NRI's regarding bookings, reservations, itinerary planning and other inquiries . There are  staff available at the bureau who speak some commonly used foreign languages.

Computerized reservation facilities for instant booking, reservation, fax, telex, ISD and STD are arranged by the bureau along with confirmed reservations for foreign tourists through a foreign tourist quota in all classes and trains.

The bureau arranges accommodation, retiring rooms and Rail Yatri Niwas bookings and also bedrolls in trains on demand.

Links

Official Indian Railways websites for the latest information pertaining to train travel to Goa.

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Other official Indian Railways websites for travel elsewhere in India   

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Revised: April 29, 2001 .