What PNR Number means to you
Have you ever got a WL or RAC ticket? What has "WL" or "RAC" to do with your ticket? Read this article, and you'll never be confused again. IRCTC website gets 12 lakh hits everyday. They're all booking tickets. So some of us, amidst this mayhem, get into Waitlist (WL) or Reservation-Against-Cancellation (RAC). Ah, So that is what WL and RAC stands for! This is just the start, we'll go from the history of PNR number to what PNR number means to you. So fasten your seatbelt, and be ready for a journey, you never thought PNR number could give you.
RAC & WL tickets
Let us suppose, you go into a rusty cybercafe. A ticket to Siliguri is what you need! No seats available. You get a WL or RAC ticket. What does that mean?
WL tickets: WL, as you know, stands for waitlist tickets. When all tickets are sold out, meaning there is no seat available on train, WL tickets are issued. You don't get a seat on the train yet, but if somebody cancels their ticket, you get their seat. If they don't cancel, we look for a bus.
RAC tickets: RAC tickets are superior to WL tickets, as they guarantee you a seat on the train. But unfortunately, they don't guarantee a berth. So if you've a RAC ticket to your journey, you'll have a place to sit, but not to sleep.
When does a PNR come in?
So if you've a WL ticket, your #PNR online would end with: WL05 (or something like that). You're on the waitlist. If some people cancel their tickets, your PNR# would soon be: RAC03. Now you've a RAC ticket. A guaranteed seat on the train. What if some more people cancel their tickets? The PNR# would be: CNF02. You've fully fledged train ticket - seat + berth.
A PNR Number can easily be seen as it is the first term on your railway ticket. A PNR number helps you to know if your on WL, RAC or CNF. This status can be known through sms or online.
How to check PNR Status ?
- Open TrainEnquiry.org : This is our usual first step. Our website is a breeze to operate. It's much simpler than the Indian railways official website. So put TrainEnquiry.org in your browser.
- Click on "PNR Status" : You'll find yourself with nine options. These are our services right on your screen. They range from Train Fare to Train Time Table. Somewhere in between is "PNR Status." Click it.
- Enter your PNR No.: Clicking on PNR Status, you'll find there is only 1 field on the next page which says, "PNR Number". Enter your PNR Number from your railway ticket and you'll get your PNR Status.