what is rac ticket

An RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) ticket is a type of ticket that can be sold for travel on the Indian Railways. It ensures the possibility of travel on the train, but it does not guarantee a berth. A berth will be allocated to the ticket holder who reserves an RAC ticket if passengers who already have a confirmed ticket do not board before the train departure or get their confirmed ticket canceled. A berth is split into two seats for two RAC ticket holders. An RAC ticket holder is given an empty berth if there are any last-minute cancellations, if any quota remains unsold, or if any confirmed ticket holders are given a free upgrade according to seat availability in upper class. Generally, RAC/WL tickets will have two numbers - RAC8/RAC2, WL20/WL15, WL12/RAC2, etc. The first number shows the status of the ticket at the time of booking, and the second number after the slash (/) shows the current status of the ticket. So, RAC8/RAC2 means that when the ticket is purchased, it was the 8th such ticket, and currently, it is the second number in the RAC queue. An RAC ticket allows a passenger to travel on the train but does not guarantee a berth. If a passenger with a confirmed status does not show up, RAC quota travelers can get their own seat. An RAC ticket can be converted into a confirmed ticket if someone cancels their ticket.