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Indian Railways is the most reliable lifeline connecting every corner of the country, which not only takes the passengers to their destination but also takes their luggage and vehicles to their safe destination. Be it job transfer, shifting to another city for higher education or the thrill of exploring new roads on your own bike on a long vacation, people often get confused about how to take their bicycle, scooter or heavy motorcycle to another city. Sending a vehicle in a truck by private transport or by road is not only heavy on the pocket but also there is a high risk of the vehicle getting damaged due to road shocks. In such a situation, Indian Railways emerges as the most economical, safe and timely delivery option. You can send your bicycle or two-wheeler through Railways in two different ways, the first way is Luggage Booking and the second way is Parcel Booking. If you have to travel in the same train in which your vehicle will travel, then luggage booking proves to be most convenient, whereas parcel service is used only to send the vehicle to another station without traveling yourself. Many people keep making rounds of parcel offices due to lack of clear knowledge of railway rules and lose extra money by falling into the clutches of middlemen. By understanding the correct procedure, advance preparation of necessary documents and basic rules of packing, you can get your car booked in a few minutes.
Before booking a two-wheeler with Railways, it is very important to decide what your priority is and under which category you want to book. Luggage booking facility is available to those passengers who have a confirmed or valid travel ticket of the same train. Its biggest advantage is that as soon as your train stops at the destination station, you can get your bike or cycle immediately unloaded from the parcel van and take it home. In this, there is little chance of the train getting lost or being left at some other station. On the contrary, parcel booking option is chosen when the vehicle owner himself is not traveling by train or there is no space available for parcel van in his train. In parcel booking, Railways loads the train in the parcel van of an available goods train or express train as per its convenience and the rack load of the route. A vehicle sent via parcel may usually take a few hours or a day or two extra time to reach the destination station compared to luggage. After reaching the parcel, on receipt of information from the parcel house of the concerned station or on the basis of tracking details, the receiver has to release the vehicle within the stipulated time limit, otherwise the railway charges demurrage i.e. warehouse charge for keeping the vehicle on the platform. So if you need the vehicle urgently then choose luggage booking with confirmed ticket, and if there is no rush on time then parcel booking is the most suitable mode.
Before booking any vehicle at the Railway Parcel Office, it is mandatory to meet the safety and legal standards so that transportation of stolen or unclaimed vehicles can be completely prevented. The first and most important document is the original registration certificate of the vehicle i.e. RC, which proves that the vehicle is completely legal. Along with the original copy of RC, it is important to keep at least two-three clear photocopies of it with you. Apart from this, it is mandatory for the vehicle to have valid insurance i.e. insurance certificate, which has not expired. Insurance paper is also necessary because while filling the booking form, the declared value of the vehicle is decided, on the basis of which the claim from the Railways is decided in case of any accident or loss. Valid pollution control certificate i.e. PUC of the vehicle also has to be attached. A self-attested copy of the sending person’s government identity card such as Aadhar Card, Voter ID or Driving License is required to be submitted. If you are carrying the vehicle as luggage, it will be necessary to show your travel ticket. If the vehicle is registered in the name of another person and you are sending it, then it is mandatory to attach the authority letter issued by the original owner and a copy of the owner’s Aadhar card. In case of sending a bicycle, no RC is required, just filling the normal booking form on the basis of purchase receipt or identity card is enough.
The most strict safety standards are followed while sending any petrol powered vehicle by train. Under the Railway Act, carrying any kind of inflammable substance in a running train is illegal and a punishable offence, hence the petrol tank of the bike or scooter has to be completely emptied before taking it to the station or parcel shed. The parcel clerk thoroughly inspects the carburettor and fuel tank before clearing the vehicle; If even a little petrol is left in the tank, the Railways can impose heavy fines and cancel the booking. After removing petrol from the tank, the vehicle should be completely packed by the authorized packers present outside the station or near the parcel shed. During packing, delicate parts like headlight, indicator, rear view mirror, exhaust pipe and speedometer should be wrapped in double layer of bubble wrap, cardboard and strong gunny bag and tied tightly with twine. This safe packing prevents the paint and parts of the vehicle from getting scratched due to rubbing or shaking by other heavy parcels in transit. After the packing is completed, the origin station, destination station, vehicle registration number, booking slip number and the receiver’s full name and mobile number are written in clear letters on the white cloth strip with a marker, which is called marking in railway language. While sending the bicycle, its pedals should be tied by turning them upside down and the handle should be straightened and tied to the frame so that it occupies minimum space in the parcel van.
To book a train, you should reach the main parcel office of the concerned railway station at least four to six hours before the scheduled departure of the train. Go there and collect the parcel forwarding note or luggage form and enter the complete details of the vehicle, chassis number, engine number, market value of the vehicle, your permanent address and pin code of the destination station. Attach the photocopy of RC, Insurance, PUC and your Aadhar Card along with the form and submit it at the weighing counter. The railway weigher will weigh the train, on the basis of which system generated railway receipt i.e. RR will be generated. Your parcel tracking number is mentioned on this RR. Now Indian Railways has made the parcel management system quite high-tech, so that you can estimate the rates and check the availability of luggage space by visiting the parcel website sitting at home. After paying the prescribed fee at the counter through cash or digital means, you will be handed over the original copy of the RR. This slip is the most important document, because without it the vehicle will not be delivered at the destination station. If you are sending the vehicle as a parcel, then send the photo or original copy of this receipt safely in time to the person who has to receive the vehicle in another city.
The fare fixed by the Railways mainly depends on the total distance of the journey, the class of the train (Rajdhani, Mail-Express or Ordinary Parcel Train) and the total weight of the carriage. According to the standard rules of Indian Railways, the approximate weight of a normal commuter bike ranging from 100 cc to 150 cc is estimated to be around 100 to 150 kg, while the weight of a bullet or heavy cruiser bike is considered to be up to 200 kg. The weight of the bicycle is generally kept in a minimum slab of 20 to 25 kg. For example, if you parcel a bike within a radius of 500 to 1000 kilometers, then the basic railway freight charges around Rs 800 to Rs 2000. Apart from this, Railways adds an insurance charge or risk premium of one percent on the total declared value. The cost of packing by private packers at the station is around Rs 300 to Rs 600, which includes gunny bags, cardboard and labour. A legal slip of Rs 100 to 200 is deducted as unloading and porter charges. In this way the total budget for sending a normal bike 1000 kilometers away comes to around Rs 1500 to 2800. The total cost of sending the bicycle comes to just Rs 300 to Rs 600. This cost is up to three times cheaper than any private movers and packers company and is extremely safe.
When the train reaches the destination station specified by you, the parcel van is unloaded from the train and kept safe in the parcel warehouse of the station. If you have booked under luggage, you can get the gate pass for the train immediately by showing your original railway receipt and ticket as soon as the train stops at the platform itself. If the vehicle has come under parcel, then you will have to go to the goods warehouse and show your original RR slip and your identity card to the parcel clerk. After matching the records there the clerk will issue the gate pass. When you receive your vehicle after getting the gate pass, immediately inspect the vehicle from all sides before unpacking to see if there are any major dents or damages. If any damage is noticed in the vehicle, before signing the delivery register, get a damage note made from the station duty officer so that the insurance claim can be made. Another very important thing to keep in mind is that there will be no petrol in your car to get out of the station, so carry petrol with you in a bottle or get fuel from the nearest petrol pump outside the station and pour it into the tank, because pushing the car out of the station with a dry tank can prove to be tiring. Do not delay the delivery for more than 6 to 12 hours, as after the stipulated free time, Railways starts adding demurrage and wharfage charges on an hourly basis.