Indian Railways Ordered to Refund Partial Fares to Passengers in RAC Category

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A parliamentary committee has called out the Indian Railways for charging full fares to passengers who book tickets under the RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) category but do not get a full berth. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recommended that the railway ministry devise a mechanism to refund partial fares to such passengers. According to the committee's report, the current practice of charging full fare to RAC passengers is unjustified. Under this system, passengers who book tickets under the RAC category may still be without a full berth, but they are required to pay the full fare. The committee suggested that the railways should refund partial fares to passengers who do not get a full berth but are forced to pay the full charge. The committee also expressed concerns over the criteria for categorizing trains as Superfast. The current benchmark of 55 kmph is considered too low, and the committee has recommended that the ministry review and rationalize the criteria to make it comparable with global standards, approximating to 100 kmph. The committee has also suggested that the ministry explore the feasibility of achieving a consistent speed of 100 kmph throughout the entire journey by 2030. The committee's report also highlighted the issue of delays caused by the introduction of new trains, which often leads to the halting of existing Express and Superfast trains. The committee has recommended that the ministry focus more on ensuring that existing trains run on time over newly introduced trains.