Railways looking into eliminating RAC for train journey

NEW DELHI: Railways is looking into the option of doing away with the Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) facility, under which two passengers are allotted a single berth and charged the full fare despite getting only half the sleeping space. TOI has learnt that the move is being examined in the wake of concerns over passenger convenience and the need to revisit a provision that has remained part of the reservation system for decades. “There is a view that when a passenger isn’t getting full sleeping space, it may not be appropriate to charge the full fare,” said an official.

The RAC facility also becomes a cause for discomfort when the same seat is allotted to a male and a female passenger. Train ticket examiners face challenges in finding an alternative arrangement in such cases. The issue of travelers with RAC tickets being charged full fares has also been flagged by a parliamentary panel, which questioned its rationale. The panel has recommended that railways review the existing arrangement to ensure passengers are not made to pay the full fare without getting the benefit of a proper berth. RAC was introduced when railway ticket reservations were largely handled manually, and there was no electronic system to dynamically track cancellations and vacant berths. The arrangement allowed two passengers to travel on a single berth, with the possibility of one getting a full berth if another passenger cancelled their ticket.