Railways Weighing an End to RAC Tickets That Make Two Passengers Share One Berth
Indian Railways is reviewing the Reservation Against Cancellation system, under which two passengers pay full fare to share a berth. No final decision has been announced.
Indian Railways is reviewing the decades-old Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) system and is considering whether to scrap it altogether, ABP Live reported on Friday. No final decision has been announced so far.
How RAC works today
When every confirmed berth on a train is booked, some passengers are given RAC status. They are assured a place to sit, but two RAC passengers may have to share one berth. If a confirmed passenger cancels before the journey, an RAC passenger can get that berth; if not, the ticket can stay RAC through the trip. Both passengers still pay the full fare.
Why a change is being considered
A railway official quoted in the report questioned whether it is fair to charge a full fare when a traveller does not get a full berth to sleep on. A parliamentary committee has earlier raised the same concern and suggested the Railways change the system.
The report said RAC dates back to an era of manual booking, when tracking berths freed up by cancellations was hard. With reservations now fully digital, the Railways is exploring whether the old rule is still needed.
The review is also looking at the discomfort caused when unrelated passengers, including a man and a woman, are assigned the same berth, which can leave travelling ticket examiners struggling to make other arrangements.
What passengers should know
For now, RAC tickets continue as before. Any change will need an official announcement from the Railways.
Featured image: The berth numbers-3tier coach-Indian Railways-India459 by தகவலுழவன், CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
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