The recommendations were made by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its report titled “Punctuality and Travel Time in Train Operations in Indian Railways,” which was presented in Parliament on Tuesday.
At present, passengers with RAC tickets pay the full fare despite sharing a single berth with another passenger and, in many cases, continuing to travel without a confirmed berth even after the final reservation chart is prepared. The committee observed that charging full fare in such circumstances does not align with the level of service provided. It advised the Ministry of Railways to frame clear rules for partial fare refunds to RAC passengers and report back on the steps taken.
On train categorisation, the PAC questioned the continued use of the “superfast” tag for trains with relatively low average speeds. Under rules framed in May 2007, trains running at an average speed of 55 kmph on broad gauge and 45 kmph on meter gauge qualify as superfast. The committee noted that these norms have not been revised for nearly two decades, despite changes in technology and passenger expectations.
The report highlighted that out of 478 superfast trains, 123 have a prescribed speed of less than 55 kmph. In its response, the Railways informed the committee that 47 of these trains actually run above the benchmark, while the average speed of others has been affected due to additional stoppages introduced after regular operations began.
The PAC, however, concluded that retaining the superfast label for slower trains appears primarily aimed at collecting higher fares. It said that whenever a train’s speed falls below the prescribed threshold, Indian Railways should remove it from the superfast category and revise fares accordingly.
The committee further stated that the 55 kmph benchmark is obsolete when compared to global standards. Citing countries such as China and Japan, it suggested revising the criteria to target an average speed of around 100 kmph and setting a goal for trains to maintain this speed throughout their journey by 2030.
The panel also advised the Railways to prioritise punctuality of existing express and superfast services rather than introducing new trains that often lead to congestion and delays.
