I would like to transfer my motor bike to Delhi from Guwahati. I won't be travelling with the bike myself and it would be received by someone else at the destination. Is it possible to transport motor bikes via the Indian Railways? If yes, then what's the procedure to transport bikes in train? Also do they offer any insurance cover as such? What do you think would be the better option - transport it in train or get it delivered by a private packers & movers by the roadways? Cost is not a factor, but safety does matter to me. 1-2 minor scratches/dents are acceptable, but I don't want to incur any significant damages. Kindly advise.
Indian Railways is the most convenient mode to transport motor bikes in India from one place to another. I have personally used the service and it's the cheapest and safest way to transport your bike with minimum hassle. The procedure to transfer motor bike by train is quite simple. You can transport your bike in two ways - either as a parcel or as a luggage. If you go with the former, then you need to book it in advance and it will be delivered to the destination station within 5-7 days. In terms of costs, parcel comes cheaper than the luggage option. Sending your bike as a luggage is a quicker mode to receive it at the destination. You can receive it as soon as the train arrives. But for this you need to travel in the same train, which means higher cost as you need to purchase ticket for your own in addition to the bike transportation fees. Documents Required: 1. Government issued ID Proof. 2. Bike RC. It should bear the same name as the ID proof. 3. Copy of vehicle insurance. 4. Reservation Ticket (in case of booking as 'Luggage') Procedure to Transport Bike as Parcel: 1. Parcel booking can be done only during the office hours (10 AM to 5 PM) at the railway station parcel office. 2. Go to the parcel office with your bike. They will ask you to produce your ID proof, bike's RC and insurance copy. 3. There will be an inspection of the fuel tank. Make sure the fuel tank is empty. If there is petrol in the tank, then you will be forced to drain them off. 4. You can find a number of agents at the office who will do the packing. They are not officials of the railways and there is no fixed packaging charge. You may need to bargain with them to strike a reasonable deal. It should not cost more than INR 200-300. Make sure the bike is packed securely. 5. Once the bike has been packed, go to the parcel counter and fill in the booking form 6. You need to declare the current cost of the bike and 1% of the declared value is charged as the insurance fee. Declaration of upto INR 10,000 doesn't attract any additional insurance charges. 7. You would also need to provide the bike's engine and chasis number besides the contact details of the sender and the recipient. 8. The final cost of transportation depends on the weight of your bike and the distance it needs to travel. You can make use of Indian Railways parcel service cost calculator to find out the approximate cost - Parcel Cost Calculator. That's all you need to do. Then it is the responsibility of the railways to transport the bike to the destination station. 9. Only the recipient whose name has been mentioned in the booking form can collect the parcel from the destination station. If someone else is collecting the bike on your behalf, then make sure to send him the parcel booking receipt. 10. The person is needed to visit the luggage office at the destination station and produce the booking receipt along-with his ID proof. Upon verification, he will be issued a gate pass to take the bike out of the station complex. Procedure to Transport Bike as Luggage: 1. For booking your bike as a luggage, you need to produce a valid reservation. So first purchase a ticket for your own from the source to the destination station. 2. Go to the railways booking office a day prior to the date of journey with your bike, registration certificate, ID proof and the train ticket. 3. Ensure that the fuel tank is empty and pack the bike with a packing agent present at the railways parcel office. 4. Fill in the luggage booking form and pay the applicable transporation fees. Make sure to collect the booking receipt. 5. On the day of the journey, arrive at the station at-least 2 hours ahead of the scheduled departure time. Go to the parcel office and produce the luggage booking receipt. 6. Your bike will then be carried to the platform from which the train is supposed to depart. 7. Once the train arrives at the platform, make sure that the bike is loaded into the luggage carrier. 8. Arrive at the destination station and go to the luggage counter. 9. Produce the luggage receipt along-with your travel ticket. They will make arrangements for the bike's offloading. 10. Remove the packaging and inspect your bike for any possible damages. Then collect the gate pass from the luggage office to take the bike out of the station. That's all you need to do to transport your motor bike by train in India either as a parcel or as a luggage. The bike transporation service by the railways is a convenient, safe and much cheaper mode compared to the private packers & movers. Hope the information provided above will be helpful for those who are looking for genuine information to tranport their bikes using the transporation service of Indian Railways. Regards, Deb
I had faced a similar situation and had made use of Indian railways. My motor bike got one scratch but it was not noticeable, over all it was a good experience.
I will be honest this sounds like a nightmare to have to go through. Maybe it is just me and my crippling fear of red tape and government agencies, especially when dealing with international issues, but this one just seems like it would take a lot of hoops to jump through and directions to go in, that it would end up frustrating me too much to even think about it. It would be nice to have your own vehicle when you are over there, though, so maybe the pros outweigh the cons.
