RAC ticket explained: why Indian Railways may scrap shared berths

Indian Railways is examining whether to scrap the Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) facility, under which two passengers are allotted a single berth and each is charged the full fare, The Times of India reported on Friday (13 November), citing an official. No decision has been announced. RAC tickets are still being issued.

What is an RAC ticket? RAC is a ticket status that sits between a confirmed ticket and a waitlisted one. Unlike waitlisted passengers, RAC holders are allowed to travel in reserved coaches. Usually two RAC passengers get one side-lower berth, which works as seating by day and is shared for sleeping at night. If a confirmed passenger cancels, a berth can be allotted to an RAC passenger. If no full berth becomes available, the passenger continues with the reserved seating, since RAC does not guarantee a full berth.

Why is the Railways looking at it? One reason is fairness over fares. "There is a view that when a passenger isn’t getting full sleeping space, it may not be appropriate to charge the full fare," an official told TOI. The arrangement can also be uncomfortable when a man and a woman are allotted the same berth, and ticket examiners then struggle to find another place for them.

What has Parliament said? The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) took this up in a report titled Punctuality and Travel Time in Train Operations in Indian Railways, tabled in Parliament on 4 February. It said charging the full fare for RAC tickets, where the holder is still in RAC after the chart is prepared and has no berth, "is not justified". It asked the Railway Ministry to devise a mechanism to refund part of the fare to such travellers, the Indian Express reported.

Why does RAC exist at all? It dates from the time when reservations were largely handled manually and there was no electronic system to track cancellations and vacant berths. RAC let the Railways carry more passengers and put berths vacated by last-minute cancellations to use. With computerised reservations, berth allocation is easier to manage, and questions are now being raised over whether the facility is still needed.

Has any train already dropped it? Vande Bharat Sleeper trains issue only confirmed tickets, with no RAC or waitlist. A Railway Board circular of 9 January said all berths open for booking from the start of the Advance Reservation Period, Moneycontrol reported, citing the Indian Express. The Indian Express later reported that RAC boarding has been barred on 13 trains, including the Howrah-Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper and a dozen Amrit Bharat Express services.

What does it mean for passengers right now? Nothing changes yet. The Railways is yet to take a final call on RAC across the wider network, and any decision to end it would affect reservation availability and how waitlisted passengers are accommodated, Free Press Journal noted. For now, an RAC e-ticket is refundable only if it is cancelled, or a TDR is filed online, at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure, according to IRCTC rules cited by the Indian Express.