For every Indian, there is a mix of excitement and dread that comes associated with a train ticket. You book your tickets in advance, for a reunion, wedding, or a long-distance vacation. But to your dismay, next to your ticket number come your three infamous letters: WL, meaning waitlisted.
You have planned your travel itinerary, and even packed your bags, but your seat lies in a parallel universe, waiting to be claimed. Maybe? Possibly? Probably not.
If this is a situation that’s familiar to you, then don’t worry. It is the reality of many passengers across India. The positive? You no longer have to just deal with it. Checking your PNR status is a minute’s task and gives you the comfort and reassurance of knowing the status of your ticket, without having to make any calls, go to the station, or add any unnecessary stress to your travel.
We will help you make sense of your waitlist predicament, PNR status, and every letter and number associated with your ticket.
The PNR Number is a ticket’s identity, a 10-digit code that a passenger receives once a ticket is booked. The identity card of the ticket contains all the passenger’s journey information such as the number of the train, the date of travel, the station of departure, the station of arrival, as well as the coach and seat, in addition to the booking status.
Train tickets booked through IRCTC, travel agents, or third-party apps have a PNR number. This number shows ticket status, either confirmed or waitlisted. It is usually located near the top of the ticket or e-ticket email.
The Indian Railways utilize one of the most complicated rail systems in the world. Each train has a limited amount of berths. Instead of closing the system, the Indian Railways places each additional passenger into a waitlist.
When a passenger cancels their ticket or upgrades, passengers on the waitlist are moved up the queue. The waiting list is sealed 4 hours before the scheduled departure time, and at that time, tickets on the waitlist are not confirmed, thus passengers are not able to board a reserved coach.
There are a variety of ticket statuses that can be checked, and that is the reason why it is important to check your PNR status.
When you check your PNR status, you’ll see a number of codes. They can be difficult to understand when you’re new to train travel. Here are a few:
Congratulations! You just got a confirmed seat. Your coach and berth number will be printed.
You’re registered in the queue at the train station. Each waitlist is categorized with the letters WL, and the number following indicates the position. The smaller the number, the better because WL/3 is more favorable than WL/45.
RAC can certainly be deemed confusing, but think of it as you’re in, but keep fingers crossed for a proper berth. It does mean you are allowed to board the train, but the seating will not be provided until the berth is fully occupied, and a berth may not be available when you board. Until that happens, you will be provided a seat that is shared with another RAC passenger, and subsequently, you may be upgraded to a berth when it becomes available.
When you board the train at a station that is not the train’s origin, this is applicable. It can be more challenging to confirm a ticket from a Remote Location Waitlist than from a standard train’s origin.
This is for tickets booked between intermediate stations. PQWL tickets have less favorable confirmation chances when compared to standard WL tickets.
This is the most popular and fastest confirmed type of waitlist request, and it is registered for tickets booked from the train’s origin or boarding point.
This means that either the ticket has been cancelled or changes have been made to the ticket.
There isn’t a requirement to download multiple apps to your devices. It is very simple to check your PNR Status.
Using RailRestro is straightforward:
The PNR Status page shows your current status along with seat and coach details, as well as your journey information while you relax with no fuss – there’s nothing to log in to, no OTP to verify, etc.
The PNR page updates in real-time. That may not sound like a big deal, but it is, because train charts are frozen about 4 hours from departure, and status changes are allowed until that point.
This is something that all the seasoned travelers already know, but timings also matter when checking PNR. This is something that those that are not so seasoned as travelers seem to not know, and this is the way it is in fact.
After charts are prepared: if you are confirmed, you are boarding. If your status is RAC or WL, you will not be boarding and need to take other measures.
First, remember that not every waitlisted ticket makes it to confirmation. This especially happens on busy routes and times. This is what you can do:
The best option is to book through RailRestro or IRCTC to find other options and purchase. Even though some routes are fully booked, they may be available through Tatkal.
This option is best for short travels, general class seating is available.
Tatkal tickets, for instance, have a separate quota and separate waitlists. Sometimes booking Tatkal — even at a higher price — gives you a better confirmation.
A journey is sometimes broken up. For a direct waitlisted ticket, two tickets with connections in between make up the ticket and connection.
If you decide not to take the trip, make sure you cancel your ticket. Waitlisted tickets which are still waitlisted at the time of the chart preparation are canceled and reimbursed automatically by IRCTC. The earlier you cancel, the smaller the reimbursement.
Being aware of one’s waitlist position is key. Best, however, is knowing one’s confirmation probability.
For a guideline:
Some routes like Mumbai to Delhi and Chennai to Bangalore attract a lot of travel and therefore large waitlists. In contrast, certain routes with less traffic/course may clear waitlists quickly. Knowledge of the historical clearance patterns for your route will enhance decision-making.
and waitlists: What is different?
For travel on the dates of Diwali, Holi, summer vacation (May to June) and Christmas and New Year, waitlists are a cruel reality.
Here are some tips to make traveling during the holidays a little easier:
Book early departure or late night trains, These trains are less popular, and will have tickets available when most won’t.
Now, you don’t have to panic about being waitlisted. It’s just a frustrating part of the system. Train travel is designed to be moving, and most waitlisted tickets on moderately popular trains get confirmed. This is especially true if your waitlisted number is in the single or low double digits.You can worry about your ticket status no more.It takes ten seconds to check your PNR status on RailRestro. It is the most efficient way to check Railway pnr status.
Q: Is it possible to board the train with a waitlisted ticket?
Yes, but only when your ticket status is upgraded to confirmed or RAC before the chart is prepared. A waitlisted ticket after chart preparation means you cannot travel in reserved coaches.
Q: Do I need to have an IRCTC account to check my PNR status?
No, you can easily check your PNR status through RailRestro without any kind of account or login. Just use your PNR number.
Q: What does it mean when my PNR Status shows ‘Chart Not Prepared’ close to the train departure?
This is completely normal until 4 hours before the scheduled departure of the train. Keep checking back closer to that time.
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