Indian Railways are considered the lifeline of the country. A large population in India travels by train every day, and passengers want a safe and comfortable journey. Confirmed tickets always give a sense of satisfaction to train passengers, rather than waitlisted tickets.
If passengers on the waiting list know about the chances of confirmation, it will help them plan accordingly. In earlier times, there wasn’t any technology which would provide a probability of confirmation. Luckily, now online railway enquiry platforms, such as RailMitra, provide confirmation probability of waitlisted tickets and PNR status check features.
What Are Waitlisted Tickets?
Whenever the status of a booked ticket is marked as WL and followed by a number, the ticket is placed on a waiting list. Under the waiting list, no berth is being allotted to the passengers. This ticket can be confirmed only when the passengers who have booked a confirmed ticket for the same journey cancel their tickets. If any passengers have waitlisted status on e- tickets even after preparing the chart, the ticket will get automatically cancelled and a refund will be granted.
Various Types of Waiting Lists
The various waiting list types include the following:
- GNWL – The most common type of waiting list is the General Waiting list. GNWL status is allotted when the passengers book from the source station or near the source station. Tickets under GNWL have the highest chances of confirmation.
- RLGN – Tickets acquire the Remote Location General Waiting List status when seats get booked under the RLWL quota.
- RLWL – When the passengers start their journey from Intermediate stations, their tickets are allotted the Remote Location Waiting List status. There are fewer chances of getting the confirmation of waitlisted tickets under RLWL. All remote location stations prepare their own chart 2-4 hours before the actual departure of the train.
- RSWL – It is allotted when the source station books a berth or seat. Tickets under the Roadside Station Waiting List category have very few chances of confirmation.
- RQWL – A Request Waiting List is allotted whenever the ticket is booked from one Intermediate station to another.
- PQWL – The Pooled Quota Waiting List tickets are allotted when passengers start their journey from the source or Intermediate stations but end their journey before the destination. Tickets under PQWL have fewer chances as there is a single Pooled Quota for the entire run.
- TQWL – TQWL is being allotted when the tickets are booked under the tatkal scheme. Tatkal tickets are booked a day in advance of the running day of the train. The tatkal waiting list starts when all the seats under the tatkal reservation are filled.
Role of PNR in Determining the Confirmation Chances
PNR status check helps the passengers know the current status of their tickets, whether they are on the waiting list or reservation against cancellation. PNR status helps to determine whether the ticket will get confirmed or not. It also keeps track of the availability of berths in all classes, train timetable, fare enquiry etc.
RAC and the Waiting List
If a train has 100 available seats and 150 individuals have purchased a ticket, the train is full. Since only 100 individuals can be guaranteed seats, the remaining 50 passengers’ tickets will be placed on a waiting list, with their confirmation likelihood varying widely depending on a variety of circumstances. If a traveller doesn’t turn up for their train and cancels their ticket, the spot opens up for someone on the waiting list. If the ticket is on the RAC list, then two people will share a lower side berth.
How to Check Confirmation Chances through RailMitra
The 10-digit PNR number allotted to the passengers during the booking of the tickets acts as a source for determining the confirmation percentage.
Enter the 10-digit PNR number in the PNR status check column of RailMitra. It will show the possibility of chances of confirmation before the preparation of the chart, along with three coloured signals. These three signals also represent whether the ticket will get confirmed or not in the following manner:
- Green – The PNR number lying under the category of a green zone has a very high chance of getting confirmed. Passengers can easily relate to it and smoothly plan their trip. Usually, when the confirmation probability is above 90%, then green appears.
- Orange – Tickets showing under the orange zone have average chances of getting confirmed. It represents the tickets may or may not be confirmed depending upon the number of cancellations of confirmed tickets. Usually, the PNR prediction under 50-90% shows this. Passengers may think of other alternatives for travelling or can choose different dates of the journey if possible.
- Red – Red coloured signal represents that there is no possibility of getting the confirmed berth for the journey. This coloured signal usually arises when the PNR status confirmation probability is below 50%. Passengers are suggested to look for other alternatives and leave this one.
Factors Which Affect The Chances Of Confirmation
Below are the factors influencing the confirmation chances of a PNR:
- Date of the journey – The chances of confirmation are highly dependent upon the date of the journey. If the passengers have a waitlisted ticket during the festival or peak season, there are fewer chances of confirmation compared to normal days. It is recommended to opt for alternating trains during the festival season when seats are available.
- Type of train – The train in which the booking is done also affects the chances of confirmation. If the booking is in Rajdhani or Duronto express, there will be fewer chances compared to any super fast express or express trains.
- Time of travel – The time of boarding also affects the confirmation probability. If the waiting list is on the night train, then there will be more chances of confirmation as less rush will be found. Some people won’t prefer night journeys and hence have better chances than day journeys.
- Route of train – The route of trains also acts as a deciding factor in determining the confirmation probability. If the waitlisted ticket is booked on that train which runs on the busiest route among the metropolitan cities of India, the chances of confirmation will be much less as compared to the normal route. For example – The chances of confirmation will be less in Patna- Delhi route than in the Patna – Nagpur route.
- Type of waitlisted tickets – The type of waitlisted ticket also affects the chances of confirmation. Since the GNWL waiting list is prioritised, tickets under GNWL will have a higher chance of confirmation.
Different Ways Of Checking PNR Status
Here are some PNR-checking methods that you can apply:
PNR status check through SMS
139 is being allotted to passengers for checking their PNR status through messages. The steps any passenger needs to follow are:
- Enter “PNR” and then the 10-digit PNR number.
- You need to send it to 139.
- After sending this SMS, the passenger will get the information regarding the status of the registered PNR number.
PNR status check through call
- Dial on 139
- Follow the instructions and enter the number as told
- Enter the 10-digit PNR number
It will give information about the PNR status and travel details.
PNR status check through Online
- Visit the website or app of RailMitra
- Click on ‘Check PNR status’ to get the status.
- Enter the 10-digit PNR number
- Click on ‘Check PNR number
- The details regarding the PNR number will appear.
A PNR status check reveals several vital information on a train ticket. With the latest technologies, passengers can well-plan their travel based on confirmation probability.
RailMitra provides a nearly-accurate percentage of confirmation to their passengers with the help of analytical data and AI. It’s a unique railway enquiry app which offers many other services such as food booking trains between stations, time table etc.
Author: RailMitra
