What is the full form or meaning of RAC on train tickets of Indian Railways? Full details

RAC stands for 'Reservation Against Cancellation'. It is a type of railway ticket that guarantees travel but does not guarantee a berth. If a confirmed ticket holder cancels their booking, the RAC passenger gets the vacant berth.

Passengers in a train with an RAC ticket usually get a confirmed berth when the chart is prepared, before the departure of the train. If a passenger doesn’t get a confirmed berth, the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) usually allocates them half a seat, meaning two passengers share a seat (in this scenario, the TTE uses the seats which were cancelled after the chart was prepared).

RAC tickets are issued when all available seats are already booked, but there is a chance that some confirmed passengers might cancel their tickets later.

RAC tickets confirm that you will be able to travel on the train, but they do not guarantee a specific seat or berth. If a confirmed ticket is cancelled, the RAC ticket holder will be allocated that berth.

RAC status is an indicator of the passenger's position in the queue of passengers waiting for a berth to become available due to cancellations. RAC full form in railway is literally what it signifies- when a confirmed ticket passenger cancels their booking or does not board the train, the RAC passenger will get a berth in this scenario.

A train ticket RAC means that you are allowed in the coach and can share your berth. While it’s not a guarantee that these bookings will always convert to a confirmed ticket, sometimes when a passenger with a confirmed status does not show up, RAC quota travellers can get their own seat.

A noteworthy thing about having an RAC quota ticket is that sometimes, the confirmation of the RAC ticket takes place after chart preparation. So, what RAC means in railway ticket booking is that a traveller can avail half a seat, and if luck is on their side, they may get a full berth to themselves. All is not lost with an RAC booking.