by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:30 AM ET, Thu October 1, 2015
Amtrak announced this week that it would start charging an additional excess-baggage fee on Oct. 1 for those carrying more than the allotted amount of luggage.
Passengers onboard Amtrak trains are permitted to have two carry-on items that weigh no more than 25 pounds each. Additionally, they are also allowed to have two pieces of larger luggage that weigh 50 pounds or less apiece.
While that should be more than enough for many travelers, customers who need to travel with more than the 150 pounds of total baggage allowed will now be charged a $20 fee for each item above the limit.
Parents traveling with children under the age of two, however, will be permitted an additional carry-on like a stroller or diaper bag.
In a statement to Fox6Now.com, Amtrak spokeswoman Chelsea Kopta said, "The fees will help enforce Amtrak's established policies, preserve space on crowded trains and help to reduce safety concerns created by bags that are too heavy."
While the rail company claims the added fees are to increase safety and to save space, it's worth noting that airlines in the United States made $3.5 billion in baggage fees last year, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics in the Department of Transportation.
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