Overview
- Railway Board officials began intensive deliberations on November 13 to examine whether to scrap or reform the Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) facility and to study options such as partial refunds, revised berth rules, or dynamic seat allocation.
- Under RAC two passengers are commonly allotted a single side-lower berth and are charged the full fare even if neither receives an exclusive sleeping berth, a practice that allows travel but not guaranteed overnight sleeping space.
- A parliamentary panel, the Public Accounts Committee, questioned charging full fares to unupgraded RAC passengers in February 2026 and recommended that the Railway Ministry consider a mechanism for partial fare refunds.
- Passengers and consumer groups have complained about financial unfairness plus privacy and safety problems when unrelated men and women share a berth, and train ticket examiners report practical difficulty finding alternate accommodation on board.
- Any change would reshape reservation availability and operations because RAC began in the manual-reservation era to maximise capacity, the Vande Bharat Sleeper shows one alternative by opening all berths for booking, and officials must weigh implementation and staffing limits before deciding.