Charging passengers full fare for tickets booked under the Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) category, despite the absence of a confirmed berth, is unjustified, a parliamentary committee has observed.In its report “Punctuality and Travel Time in Train Operations in Indian Railways”, tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said passengers who remain in the RAC category even after chart preparation and travel without a full berth should not be made to pay the entire fare.
The committee recommended that the Railway Ministry put in place a mechanism to refund a portion of the fare to passengers who fail to secure a confirmed berth despite paying full charges at the time of booking.At present, Indian Railways collects full fare for RAC tickets.
However, if a ticket remains under RAC after chart preparation, two passengers are required to share a single berth, even though both have paid the full fare.
The committee urged the Railways to introduce partial fare refunds for such passengers and report the action taken in this regard.Concerns Over ‘Superfast’ Train ClassificationThe PAC also raised concerns over the criteria used to classify Superfast trains.
It noted that in May 2007, Indian Railways decided that trains with an average speed of at least 55 kmph on broad gauge and 45 kmph on metre gauge, in both directions, would qualify as Superfast.Observing that the 55 kmph benchmark is itself low and has remained unchanged since 2007, the committee pointed out that out of 478 Superfast trains currently in operation, 123 have scheduled speeds below 55 kmph.
In its response, the Railway Ministry informed the committee that a review of these 123 trains found that 47 were operating at speeds above 55 kmph as per current data.
For the remaining trains, the ministry cited additional stoppages introduced after regular operations began as the reason for reduced average speeds.The committee, however, expressed dissatisfaction over what it termed poor adherence to the Railways’ own speed norms. It said it was constrained to conclude that trains were being categorised as Superfast largely to impose higher fares.
The report stated that trains falling below the prescribed speed threshold should be removed from the Superfast category and their fares revised accordingly.Describing the existing Superfast speed benchmark as “too conservative and anachronistic,” the committee said it fails to reflect contemporary standards, particularly when countries such as China and Japan operate trains at significantly higher speeds.
The committee recommended that the Railway Ministry review and rationalise the Superfast classification criteria in line with global standards, targeting average speeds of around 100 kmph.
It also suggested exploring the feasibility of achieving a consistent speed of 100 kmph across the entire journey—from the originating station to the destination—by 2030.Additionally, the committee noted that the introduction of new trains often results in delays, as existing Express and Superfast services are halted to allow newer trains to pass. It recommended that the Railways focus on improving the punctuality of existing services rather than prioritising the launch of new trains.