Child train fare and luggage allowance
Who needs a ticket, who pays half, and how much luggage each class carries free. Each answer names the rule behind it.
Do children need a train ticket?
Children under 5 travel free without a berth; asking for a berth costs the full adult fare. Children aged 5 to 11 pay half the adult basic fare without a berth, shown as NOSB, and the full fare with one. From 12, every passenger pays the adult fare.
That is Railway Board Master Commercial Circular 12 of 2020. The half fare covers the basic fare only: the reservation fee, superfast charge and GST are charged in full, and the total is rounded up to the next ₹5. A NOSB child must be on the same booking as an adult, a booking cannot have more NOSB children than adults, and a child travelling alone needs a full-fare berth. The train fare calculator prices a NOSB child for any distance. To see the day a family trip opens for booking, use the IRCTC booking calendar.
Where the half fare does not apply
A child aged 5 to 11 pays the full fare in chair car, executive chair car and second sitting, on Tatkal, and for a berth of their own. Half fare still applies without a berth in sleeper and the AC classes with berths, and on unreserved tickets.
The sitting-class rule is Railway Board Commercial Circular 60 of 2018, and Commercial Circular 8 of 2019 gives Vande Bharat chair car trains no child fare. Tatkal is open only to full-fare passengers under the Railway Board's Tatkal scheme, so a child on Tatkal pays the full fare. The Indian Railways train classes page explains which classes have berths and which have seats, and the railway waiting list codes page shows how NOSB appears beside the other statuses on a ticket.
How much luggage is allowed in a train?
Each passenger carries 70 kg free in AC first class, 50 kg in AC 2 tier, 40 kg in AC 3 tier, chair car and sleeper, and 35 kg in second sitting. Above that, extra weight up to the class maximum must be booked and paid for.
| Class | Free | Margin | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC first class (1A) | 70 kg | 15 kg | 150 kg |
| AC 2 tier (2A) | 50 kg | 10 kg | 100 kg |
| First class (FC) | 50 kg | 10 kg | 100 kg |
| AC 3 tier (3A) | 40 kg | 10 kg | 40 kg |
| AC chair car (CC) | 40 kg | 10 kg | 40 kg |
| Sleeper (SL) | 40 kg | 10 kg | 80 kg |
| Second sitting (2S) | 35 kg | 10 kg | 70 kg |
Per passenger, from the Indian Railways rules for luggage; the free and maximum figures were restated in a Lok Sabha reply of 17 December 2025. The maximum includes the free allowance. Children aged 5 to 11 get half the adult free allowance, up to 50 kg. AC 3 economy is not in the official table; Swarajya reports a Railway Board letter of 7 March 2025 that groups it with AC 3 tier and chair car.
What excess luggage costs
Excess luggage booked at the luggage office before the journey costs 1.5 times the luggage rate, minimum ₹30, and the ticket is endorsed. Excess found unbooked on board or at the exit costs 6 times the luggage rate, with a minimum of ₹50 above the class maximum.
Weight above the class maximum cannot stay in the compartment at all: it is booked separately in the brake van. Since 31 July 2026, excess luggage can reportedly be booked online with a confirmed ticket, except in AC 3 tier and chair car (IANS and Swarajya, citing a Railway Board letter we have not found).
Suitcase size and what you cannot carry
Trunks and suitcases in the compartment can be up to 100 × 60 × 25 cm, or 55 × 45 × 22.5 cm in AC 3 tier and chair car; anything larger goes in the brake van. Explosive, inflammable, offensive or dangerous articles, empty gas cylinders, acids and corrosives are not accepted as luggage, and goods for sale are not allowed as personal luggage in the compartment.
In August 2025 PTI reported that the Prayagraj division planned airport-style luggage weighing at two stations; we found nothing on whether it started. When the Lok Sabha asked about airport-style rules in December 2025, the government restated the limits above and announced no change.
Questions people ask
Does a 4 year old child need a train ticket?
No. A child under 5 travels free without a berth, sharing an adult's berth or seat; on IRCTC the child goes in the infant section. If you want a berth for the child, it costs the full adult fare.
What is NOSB on a train ticket?
NOSB means no seat or berth: a child aged 5 to 11 booked at half the adult basic fare, sharing an adult's berth. The reservation fee, superfast charge and GST are charged in full. It is not a waiting list.
How much luggage is allowed in sleeper class?
40 kg free per passenger, with a 10 kg margin, and up to 80 kg in the compartment if the extra is booked and paid for at the luggage office. Anything heavier goes in the brake van.
What is the luggage limit in AC 3 tier?
40 kg free per passenger. The rules list a 10 kg margin but also give 40 kg as the maximum for AC 3 tier and chair car, so book anything heavier. Suitcases must be within 55 × 45 × 22.5 cm.
What is the fine for excess luggage in a train?
Excess booked before the journey costs 1.5 times the luggage rate, minimum ₹30. Excess found unbooked on board or at the exit costs 6 times the luggage rate; above the class maximum, 6 times with a minimum of ₹50.