Full fare, no full berth? Parliamentary committee calls for refunds for RAC travellers

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) presented its report in Parliament on “Punctuality and Travel Time in Train Operations in Indian Railways,” which included concerns over Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) bookings and its key recommendations for improving passenger fairness.

What did the committee recommend about RAC passengers?

The committee noted that even after the chart is prepared, if a passenger remains in RAC and does not get a full berth, such as only a side lower/upper berth or a shared berth, they have to pay the full fare. Charging the full fare in such cases is deemed unfair, and the PAC recommended that the Railway Ministry implement a system for partial fare refunds.

In other words, even if a passenger pays the full fare at the time of boarding, they should be eligible for a partial refund if a full berth is not allotted.

What is an RAC and how does it work?

Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) is a booking status in Indian Railways that allows passengers to travel even if a full berth is not immediately available. It offers a middle ground between confirmed and waitlisted tickets. The system provides travel assurance through a shared seat or berth, which allows two passengers to use one berth space. A full private berth becomes available when a confirmed passenger cancels their reservation, after which the RAC ticket holder receives the upgrade.

Booking status:

An RAC ticket means a seat has been reserved against possible cancellations. If any confirmed passenger cancels their ticket before departure, an RAC passenger may be allotted a full berth.

Seating and berthing arrangement:

At the time of booking, RAC passengers are assigned a side lower berth, which is shared with another RAC traveller. This arrangement ensures that the passenger has a seat, though not an entire berth initially.

Travel guarantee:

Unlike waitlisted tickets, RAC tickets provide boarding confirmation. Their ‘partially confirmed’ status guarantees that the passenger can travel on the scheduled train.

Upgradation to full berth:

If a confirmed passenger cancels their ticket or does not show up, the vacant berth is allotted to RAC passengers, allowing them to use the entire berth during the journey.

Chart preparation:

If the ticket continues to remain in RAC status after the final reservation chart is prepared, the passenger travels with the shared side lower berth as originally allotted.

Cancellation and refunds:

Indian Railways allows passengers to cancel RAC tickets. Refunds are provided in accordance with the prevailing cancellation rules and charges.

If implemented, the PAC recommendation will likely increase transparency because it will establish fairer processes for RAC bookings. The system will charge passengers according to the facilities they actually receive.