Mail Bags:

Conveyance of mails: Postal mails are carried either in vehicles specially constructed (or converted) as postal vans at the cost of the Postal Department, or in ordinary coaching vehicles i.e., non-postal vehicles in which accommodation is reserved for the conveyance of mails, or in-charge of Guards or Mail Peons traveling on season tickets. In January and July each year, half-yearly programmes for the conveyance of mails under these systems are drawn out and a copy of the programme is supplied to the Divisional Railway Manager. Despatches not covered by these programmes are also arranged as and when necessary.

Billing of charges for the haulage of postal vans and other coaching vehicles (i.e., non-postal vehicles) in which accommodation is reserved for the conveyance of  mails:

  • Returns of reserved accommodation supplied to the Postal Department on 21st January and 21st July each year (or on such other dates as may be mutually agreed upon between the Divisional Railway Manager and the Postal Department) must be submitted by the concerned stations to the Divisional Railway Manager within 3 days of the said dates in the proforma appearing at Appendix XII/A.
  • The standard space allotted in postal vans or length of compartments provided in nonpostal vehicles for the carriage of mails must invariably be shown in the returns to enable the Traffic Accounts Office to work out the charges correctly.
  • The information contained in the returns will be consolidated into a statement in the Divisional Office and submitted to the Traffic Accounts Office, half-yearly. Instructions in this regard appear in paras 1605, 1606 and 1608-T.

Procedure for the daily conveyance of mails under the ‘Weighment system’:

The mail bags will be made over to the Station Master by the Postal Department with mail lists in duplicate. These lists will show the number of mail bags to be despatched and will be signed by the dispatching agent of the Postal Department. The Station Master should compare the bags with the entries in the lists in the presence of the dispatching agent, and if the bags are in good condition with seals intact, he should sign one of the mail lists and return it to the dispatching agent and retain the other list for the record at the station.

The mail bags will be entered in a separate guidance (luggage and parcels summary) of the train by which they are dispatched and the Guard will sign for them in the station copy of the guidance.At the destination, the Station Master should take over the bags from the Guard and sign for them in the guidance. These bags will then be entered in a separate parcels delivery book set apart for the purpose and the signature of the Postal Official who takes delivery of the bags will be obtained in it

Mailbags carried by Mail Peons:

Mailbags carried by Mail Peons traveling on season tickets will be treated as a regular daily service charged under the half-yearly weighment system. Such mail bags should be weighed on the statistical days t.e.on 21st January and21st July each year or on such other dates as may be advised by the Divisional Office.

The weight of mail bags carried by Mail Peons on the days specified above along with that of other mails should be recorded in the mail lists in the manner indicated.The following endorsement should also be made on the season tickets issued to such Mail Peons

Mail bags with the holder which are included under the weighment system will be carried without any extra charge”.