Train passengers travelling on Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) tickets may soon see changes to the fare and berth-sharing structure, with Indian Railways reviewing whether to redesign or discontinue the existing system, according to a report by The Times of India.
Under current rules, passengers holding an RAC ticket are permitted to board the train, unlike those on the waitlist, and are charged the full ticket fare. However, if a confirmed berth does not become available, two RAC passengers must share a single sleeping berth meant for one person.
According to The Times of India, a railway official stated that there is a view within the Railways that charging the full fare when passengers do not receive an individual sleeping space may not be appropriate. The official added that the arrangement also creates difficulties for both travellers and ticket examiners, particularly when two unrelated passengers are required to share sleeping accommodation, and no vacant berth is available for reassignment.
The review follows scrutiny from Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC). In its February 2026 report on Punctuality and Travel Time in Train Operations in Indian Railways, the committee observed that charging the full fare for RAC tickets—where a passenger remains in the RAC category after chart preparation without a full berth—is not justified.
The PAC had recommended that the Ministry of Railways devise a mechanism to refund a partial fare to travellers who board with an RAC ticket but are not allotted a full berth. No final decision or official policy change has been announced yet.
Travelling on an RAC ticket? Your train fare could soon change
