Train Facts

All there is to know about train ticket and berth status

• The advance booking for Indian train ticket opens 120 days before the date of journey.
• Tickets can be booked both offline at Passenger Reservation System (PRS) or online using the IRCTC website.
• You may also book an i-ticket wherein the ticket is booked online and then couriered to the passenger.
• All the tickets issued have the unique 10-digit PNR (Passenger Name Record).
• The ticket also contains all the other journey details like train number, journey date, travel class, origin, destination, ticket status, berth details for confirmed tickets, passenger details etc.
• A maximum of six passengers can travel in one ticket depending on the status of your ticket.

The following can be your ticket status:

• Waiting List (WL) : The wait list number determines the number of people who need to cancel their ticket in order for your booking to get confirmed.
• Confirmed : Confirmed or available status means that your seat on the train is guaranteed and your name will appear on the final chart.
• Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) : This means you are entitled to half a berth on the train if you wish to board it. There are very high chances of an RAC ticket getting confirmed when the chart is prepared.
• Remote Location Waiting List (RLWL) means the ticket is issued for intermediate stations because usually these are the most important towns or cities on that particular route.
• Pooled Quota Waiting List (PQWL) is shared by several small stations. Pooled Quotas normally operate only from the originating station of a route, and there is only one Pooled Quota for the entire run.
• Roadside Station Waiting List (RSWL) is allotted when berths or seats are booked from the originating station for journeys up to the roadside station and distance restrictions may not apply.
• RQWL: If a ticket is to be booked from an intermediate station to another intermediate station, and if it is not covered by any other quota.
• CKWL or Tatkal waiting list: For Tatkal tickets, the waiting list issued is CKWL. If Tatkal ticket goes up, it directly gets confirmed and doesn't go through RAC status.