Millions of people travel by train daily. Passengers need to have a ticket with confirmed or RAC status to travel. But due to the high rush on Indian railways, you always don’t get a confirmed train ticket. And here, PNR status comes into use.
But what is PNR, and how will it help you know if your ticket has confirmation status or not? Or what does RAC status mean when you can travel on the train? Or does it even affect your travel experience? Don’t worry, as these questions are prevalent and you are not new. Many people don’t know much about PNR status and RAC.
Read on to learn more about PNR and its status.
What Is PNR?
PNR is an abbreviation for Passengers Name Record. It is a unique 10-digit number that you can see on the top right corner of your PRS train ticket and in the upper middle part of the e-ticket. Using this PNR number, you can check the PNR status of your ticket to know whether it is confirmed or not.
This number contains all the information related to you and your train journey, such as your name, gender, age, journey date, seat number, ticket confirmation status etc.
How Is the PNR Number Generated, and What Does It Mean?
PNR number is generated in two parts. The first 3-digits are generated intentionally and contain information. The remaining 7-digits are generated randomly by the PRS system to make each one unique. The very first digit of the PNR number tells that from which PRS centre your ticket has been booked.
- PNR of a ticket starts with digit 1; your ticket belongs to Secunderabad PRS under the SCR zone.
- The initial digits of a PNR are 2 and 3; it denotes Delhi PRS of NR, NCR, NER, and NWR zone.
- PNR’s first digit is 4 and 5; the ticket is issued from Chennai PRS under the SR, SCR, and SWR zone.
- The initial digits of a PNR are 6 and 7; the ticket is issued from Kolkata PRS, under ER, ECR, NFR, SER, ECoR, or SECR zone.
- The initial digit of the PNR number is 8 and 9; the ticket belongs to Mumbai PRS, under the CR, WR, or WCR zone of Indian Railways.
What Is PNR Status and Its Types?
PNR status is the status of booked train tickets, whether confirmed or RAC waiting. When you check this status, it shows various abbreviations related to train tickets. These are :
CNF- It denotes the confirmation status of your ticket. With this status, you are allotted a seat or berth and can travel comfortably by train.
RAC- This status is called Reservation Against Cancellation. With this status, you can travel by train, but you must share your seat with another RAC ticket holder.
WL- This states that your ticket is not confirmed and is on the waiting list. Your ticket will get confirmed merely if the ticket with CNF and RAC status is cancelled.
GNWL- GNWL or General Waiting List status denotes a high chance of confirming your ticket.
RLWL- Remote Location Waiting List or RLWL denotes your ticket is on the waiting list, and you have booked tickets for two major intermediate stations.
TQWL- Tatkal Quota Waiting List or TQWL is an emergency ticket waiting list. PNR status shows this status when you book your ticket under the tatkal scheme, which is on the waiting list.
NOSB- NO Seat Berth is the status assigned for children’s tickets below 11 years old. It means that journey is allowed, but not a separate seat berth will be allotted.
What Is RAC Status?
RAC status is the acronym for Reservation Against Cancellation. It is one of the types of PNR status. With this status of your train ticket, you are allowed to travel and be allotted a berth. However, you will need to share your berth with another co-passenger holding the RAC status ticket. The IRCTC RAC ticket status gets confirmed in the below-mentioned cases :
- Any passenger cancels the ticket at the last minute.
- Any quota ticket remains unsold.
- Any passenger with confirmed ticket status receives a free upgrade in the upper class due to the availability of a seat.
- Any passenger missed the train and somehow couldn’t board the train and the seat remains vacant, you can ask the ticket collector to allot you a berth.
Why Do We Need to Check PNR and RAC Status?
PNR status is one of the most significant factors that ensure your comfortable journey. It tells that In which coach, Indian railways has allotted you a train seat/berth. What will be your train time, and on which day your train will depart? Apart from these, the most important thing is whether your ticket will get confirmed till the journey date or not.
If you have a CNF status ticket, you will get a full berth and enjoy your journey without any worries. With RAC ticket status, you will need to make up your mind to go with a split seat. However, sometimes RAC status tickets get confirmed or allotted a full berth in the running train when any seat remains vacant, maybe because any passenger missed the train and cancelled the journey at the last moment.
With a waiting list e-ticket, you cannot board the train because Indian Railways refund the amount when your ticket doesn’t get confirmed. With a PRS waiting ticket, you can board the train and ask the Ticket collector on the train if any seat is vacant, and he can assign you that seat.
Apart from, with PNR number and its confirmed or RAC status, you can avail yourself of various facilities of Indian railways such as Order food on train via e-catering apps, booking retiring rooms, and filing complaints if something mishappening occurs.
So, it becomes essential to check PNR status to know your ticket’s confirmation, RAC, or waiting list status. It also helps you to escape the last-minute rush. RailMitra is one of the most preferred rail apps for checking the IRCTC PNR status of train tickets.
How to Check PNR and RAC Status?
You can check your PNR status online using the RailMitra app and website. Here, you will find an option to check it. Click on that option, and a box will appear where you need to enter the 10-digit PNR number of your ticket. Tap the ‘check PNR status’ button. Your screen will display the current status of your ticket. The app also predicts the chances of your ticket confirmation through AI-based calculations.
RaiMitra reflects 99% accurate PNR prediction because of its vast database, which uses the past IRCTC ticket confirmation trends and different ticket booking factors, including festive days, weekends and wedding seasons.
With this app, you can also check trains between stations, train schedule, station details, seat availability on different trains and order food on train. RailMitra helps rail passengers make their train journey comfortable and stress-free.
