Parliamentary Panel Slams Railways: Full Fare for RAC Unjustified, Superfast Criteria Outdated

• A parliamentary panel stated that charging full fare for RAC tickets without providing a confirmed berth is unjustified and urged Indian Railways to refund part of the fare.
• The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report, tabled in Parliament, highlighted that RAC passengers often share berths or travel without a full sleeping berth despite paying full charges.
• The PAC also criticized the outdated 'Superfast' train classification, noting the 55 kmph benchmark set in 2007 is too low and many trains operate below it.
• The committee expressed dissatisfaction that 123 out of 478 Superfast trains have scheduled speeds below 55 kmph, suggesting the classification was used to apply higher charges.
• Recommendations include rationalizing Superfast criteria to align with global standards (targeting 100 kmph by 2030) and prioritizing punctuality over new train launches.