Last Updated:
RAC Rules: If the RAC ticket is not confirmed, the passenger is allowed to board and sit in the train, but does not get the entire berth. The question is, when half the seats are available, why does the Railways charge the full fare? Can the passenger get half the money back? Let us understand.
RAC Rules: When you board a train, have you ever noticed that your seat is shared with someone else? RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) is written on the ticket and the question that arises in your mind is that when you have got half the seating space, then why was the full fare paid? Do Railways return half the money or is this the rule? Let us know the story of this half seat and full fare.
RAC ticket means that the passenger has to share a seat, that is, two passengers get seating space on one berth. If a passenger’s ticket is canceled or a berth remains vacant, then the RAC passenger gets the entire berth. But until this happens, two passengers have to travel on half the seats.
You get the right to travel by train
Now talking about fare, Railways charges full fare for RAC ticket because the passenger gets the right to travel in the train and a guaranteed seat (even if half). According to railway rules, RAC ticket is considered in the same category as confirmed ticket, because the passenger can travel in the train without any restriction. This is the reason why Railways does not reduce the fare on RAC tickets nor does it return half the money. However, if the passenger cancels the ticket before the commencement of the journey, some money is refunded under the cancellation rules. But it is not possible to demand half the fare after the train starts or after the journey.
Protecting passengers from ‘no-travel-loss’
According to railway officials, the purpose of the RAC facility is to save the passengers from ‘no-travel-loss’ situation i.e. to give a chance to travel even to the passengers stuck in the waiting list. Due to this, railway seats do not go vacant and passengers also get the option of traveling at the last moment.
Overall, RAC ticket may provide half the seats, but it does not mean half the journey. Therefore, Railways charges the full fare because both the right to travel and the convenience are assured.
