Train journeys often involve heavy luggage, and arriving early gives you enough time to explore nearby places. Passengers travelling with luggage may struggle to explore the city. Therefore, Indian Railways offers a cloakroom facility for luggage storage during long stays.
Selected stations offer this facility to store luggage following certain cloak room rules at a certain price. Many passengers have no clue about the existence of this service that affects the travel experience.
This post will investigate the railway cloak room facility, improving passengers comfort during long stays, connecting journeys or longer gaps between trains. It also investigates who is eligible, the process, storage safety tips, and many more.
What is Indian Railway Cloakroom Service?
Indian Railways provides a luggage storage facility at minimal cost to help passengers to explore nearby attractions during long waiting hours. Cloakroom meaning generally includes a dedicated space where people leave their luggage temporarily.
However, passengers need to check the train schedule and plan the storage accordingly. It helps to plan well to store the luggage and explore the city stress-free. Luggage storage facilities at railway stations let passengers luggage-free on a long layover.
Eligibility for Railway Cloak Rooms
Only eligible passengers are authorised to store their luggage in the cloak room. So, check the eligibility criteria and plan your journey according to the storage of bags or heavy luggage at the railway station’s dedicated space.
- Confirmed Ticket
- Valid ID Proof
- Proper Packaging or Storage Condition
- Permitted Luggage
- Operation Hours
How Cloak Room Work in Indian Railways?
The typical steps to store luggage in a railway cloakroom are as follows.
- Visit the Cloakroom: Passengers need to visit the cloak room facility available in the station premises.
- Present ID: Don’t forget to carry your ID proof and railway ticket with confirmed PNR status. This is to verify whether you are an eligible passenger for luggage storage or not.
- Hand over the luggage: Politely hand over the luggage and ensure it is properly locked. Without a lock, luggage is not acceptable.
- Pay applicable charges: Complete the payment as per applicable charges. It is the minimum payment to store the luggage safely at the station premises.
- Collect Receipt: After payment, don’t forget to collect the receipt. It is a valid proof for luggage storage at the luggage premises.
- Store until returning to collect luggage: Keep the receipt with you until luggage collection. It will be required to submit it at the luggage cloak room when receiving the stored luggage.
Indian Railways Cloak Room Charges
Proper information about the storage charges at railway stations may help to proceed with this service. However, due to a lack of information about the Indian Railway cloak room charges, passengers may get confused.
To avoid overcharging, Indian Railways has made an official announcement for the luggage collection charges, including locker charges, to keep the luggage safe. So, check the table below and find what you need to pay when using the cloakroom railway station.
Cloak Room Railway Station Charges
Storage Hours | Cloakroom Charges (Per Package) | Locker Charges (Per Package) |
First 0 – 24 Hours | ₹15 – ₹50 | ₹20 – ₹50 |
| For Each 0 – 24 Hours after first 24 Hours | ₹20 – ₹50 | ₹30 – ₹50 |
However, charges are subject to change according to specific railway stations. Therefore, always check the information board for charges and rules available at the cloak room facility.
Luggage Storage Safety Tips
Luggage protection is the first priority while storing luggage at the railway station. Therefore, choosing a reputable storage facility is necessary. So, follow these smart hacks to keep your belongings safe while storing luggage in the railway cloakroom.
- Verify Security: You must check whether the storage is under surveillance or not. Moreover, it has restricted access and staff supervision for the luggage.
- Avoid Storing Critical Items: Avoid storing jewelry, cash, laptops, passports, and important documents.
- Lock Your Bags: Keep every compartment of your bags locked. It is necessary for storing luggage in the cloakroom and for safety, too.
- Snap Picture: Use your smartphone and capture an image of your luggage for future reference.
- Receive Receipt: Get a digital or physical receipt for your luggage and cross-check the items in it. It will require collecting the bags from the cloak room.
- Follow Cloakroom Timing: Passengers must follow the train running status and plan to move out the luggage early to avoid a last-minute rush.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is a Railway cloakroom?
Ans. A cloak room is a facility offered by the railway station to store bags for a short time. It helps passengers to move freely during long layovers and explore the nearby places stress-free.
Q. Who is eligible to use the cloakroom?
Ans. Everyone with a valid confirmed ticket and Identity proof is eligible to use the luggage storage service at railway stations. However, they need to follow the particular storage rules.
Q. What are the rules for bag storage at railway stations?
Ans. Passengers can use the cloakroom after paying the applicable charges. However, they need to follow certain rules like locking the bags, showing the receipt while collecting, following the storage time limit, and avoiding storing restricted items.
Q. What are the charges for cloakroom storage?
Ans. Charges may vary by station but may include ₹15 to ₹50 for the first 0 – 24 hours and then ₹20 to ₹50 for each subsequent 24 hours.
Q. What are the points to remember while using the cloakroom?
Ans. Travellers must consider certain points like cloakroom service timings, storage rules, and items allowed or restricted.
Read More: Train Ticket Age Limit: Know When You Need a Separate Ticket
Read More: Luggage Rules in Train: Check These Limits Before Packing
