Millions of passengers travelling by Indian Railways may soon get a major relief.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has suggested that passengers travelling on RAC tickets should get a partial refund if they do not receive a full berth in the train, even after paying the full fare.
This issue was highlighted in the PAC report titled “Punctuality and Travel Time of Train Operations in Indian Railways”, which was presented in Parliament on February 4.
New Railway Rule Proposal
Under the current rules, RAC passengers are charged the same fare as confirmed ticket holders, even though they only get half a seat. The committee has called this system unfair.
According to the PAC, if a passenger does not get a full berth even after the chart is prepared, charging the full fare is not justified. Therefore, it has recommended that the Railway Ministry should create a system to refund a part of the fare to such passengers.
No Refund System at Present
At present, IRCTC rules do not provide any refund for RAC passengers unless they cancel the ticket or file a TDR at least 30 minutes before the train’s departure. If they fail to do so, no refund is given.
The committee has argued that if passengers receive only half the facilities, they should not be made to pay the full fare. The payment should be proportionate to the service provided.
RAC Rules Made Stricter on Some Trains
The report also mentions that since the beginning of this year, Indian Railways has made RAC rules stricter on some modern trains.
RAC ticket holders are no longer allowed to travel on 13 trains, including Vande Bharat Sleeper and Amrit Bharat Express. Only passengers with confirmed tickets can travel on these trains.
Now, the Railway Ministry will take the final decision on the committee’s recommendation. If this proposal is implemented, it could bring major changes to the railway fare system in India.
