Amtrak is now charging a $20 baggage fee to customers who bring more than the established limit.
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari says the allowance is two bags of up to fifty pounds, carried on, plus two personal items, carried on, up to 25 pounds each.
Since not many passengers are likely to bring, including checked baggage, more than 250 pounds of stuff, why do this in the first place? Magliari says one reason is to discourage people from bringing heavy bags, which can injure crew members trying to lift them - or passengers sitting under an overhead rack.
He says other reasons are clarity and accountability.
"For example in Fulton, Kentucky, where there is no staffed station, if there is no one there to tell the person, 'Hey, the limit is four carry-ons,' a person can show up with five and then be faced with the question, 'Do we let them travel or not?'" Now there will be a way to allow people to travel, to have a record that we allowed them to exceed the allowance, and we've collected a fee, all of which we have not been able to do before now."
Amtrak's baggage fee policy is now in effect.
