Parliamentary panel raps Railways on RAC fares, ‘superfast’ train criteria

New Delhi: A parliamentary committee has criticised Indian Railways for charging passengers the full fare under the Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) category, despite many travellers being forced to share berths.

In a report titled ‘Punctuality and Travel Time in Train Operations in Indian Railways’, tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the practice of levying full charges on RAC passengers who do not receive a full berth after chart preparation “is not justified”.

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The committee urged the railway ministry to devise a mechanism for refunding partial fares to passengers who pay full charges but are only allotted shared berths. At present, two RAC passengers may be required to share a single berth, with both paying the full fare.

Beyond fares, the PAC also raised concerns over the classification of trains as ‘Superfast’. It noted that since 2007, trains averaging 55 kmph on broad gauge and 45 kmph on metre gauge have been categorised as Superfast, attracting higher charges. The committee described the benchmark as “too conservative and anachronistic”, pointing out that countries such as China and Japan operate trains at far greater speeds.

The report highlighted that of 478 trains designated as Superfast, 123 were scheduled to run below the 55 kmph threshold. While the railway ministry responded that 47 of these trains now exceed the benchmark, it admitted that additional stoppages had reduced the average speed of others.

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Expressing dissatisfaction, the PAC said, “The committee are forced to conclude that the demarcation of trains as Superfast was to apply higher charges. As and when the speed of trains fell below, the Indian Railways should have removed the train from the Superfast category and revised the fare.”

The panel recommended that the ministry review and rationalise the criteria for Superfast trains, aiming for speeds closer to 100 kmph across entire journeys by 2030. It also cautioned that the introduction of new services often delays existing Express and Superfast trains, urging the ministry to prioritise punctuality of current operations over expansion.

PTI