Train facts

Six Facts You Should Know About PNR Status

Whenever passengers book a railway ticket for their journey across India, the IRCTC generates a valid ticket with a PNR number that is mentioned at the top left corner in offline tickets or displayed at the top centre in the online ticket.

 

The PNR assures that the ticket is booked for the passenger, and now they can travel with a valid ticket to their destination station. As the journey starts by boarding the train, it’s the PNR number through which every passenger is recognized. The number holds the entire journey details including the status of your ticket whether it is confirmed, in the waiting list or RCL.

 

What is a PNR Number?

 

PNR is an acronym for Passenger Name Record (PNR), the specific 10-digit number present on every ticket issued by Indian Railways. Have you ever thought about what these 10-digits reveal and what travel details it conceals about the passengers? If you have no idea what a PNR number is, this blog will help you find out the intricate PNR details generated by Indian railways for your train journey.

 

Here are six facts one should know about PNR Status.

 

1. PNR reveals the Passenger Reservation System (PRS)


If we break down these numbers, the first three digits of any PNR discloses the PRS, which means the source station from where the ticket was booked. The table below will illustrate the example.

 

NumberCodeZone
1SCRSecunderabad PRS
2,3NR, NCR, NWR, NERNew Delhi PRS
4,5SR, SWR, SCRChennai PRS
6,7NFR, ECR, ER, ECoR, SER, SECRKolkata PRS
8,9CR, WCR, WRMumbai PRS

 

E.g. If a ticket is booked from Mumbai, the PNR will start from the number 8.

 

2. Random numbers in the PNR

 

The seven digits in the PNR are randomly generated by the CRIS (Centre for Railway Information System). They do not contain any precise or informative ticket details. These numbers are generated on the ticket just to make them unique and different from other tickets.

 

3. Validity and Record

 

The validity of PNR expires as soon as the journey is completed. The PNR is meaningless once the train reaches the destination station, and no journey is possible with the same PNR. The PNR Number lasts for a minimum of 9 months in the record of Indian Railways, after which the system flushes the PNR automatically.

 

4. Details in PNR

 

The PNR is the only mode to recognize the passenger travelling by train. Railways identify passengers with this unique 10-digit code which includes:

 

  • Passenger details ( Name, Age, Sex, Date of Birth)
  • Ticket details (Date of Journey, Source Station, Destination Station, Berth Number, Quota, ID Proof Numbers, Class of the Booked Ticket etc.)
  • Transaction details

 

5. Types of Code Displayed While Inquiring PNR Status

 

Whenever a ticket is generated, or a PNR status is inquired, different types of codes can be displayed on the screen. They are:

 

  • CNF- Confirmed: This appears only if your seat is booked.

 

  • RAC- Reservation Against Cancellation: This code appears when Indian Railways provide a sitting arrangement for two passengers in the same seat for the journey. The side lower berth of every compartment is for RAC ticket allotment, where two passengers can share seats for their journey. In a long-distance journey, berths are allotted to both RAC passengers depending upon seats’ availability after a few stations.

 

  • WL- Waiting List: This is the status when the seat is not allotted to the passenger. E.g. WL1, WL 2 or WL7/WL2, which means at the time of booking, the status was WL7, and at the time of payment, the waitlist status slips to WL2. It states that your ticket will only get confirmed when other passengers will cancel their tickets. 

 

  • GNWL- General Waiting List: It appears when the chances of ticket confirmation are high.

 

  • PQWL- Pooled Quota Waiting List: It is issued when the ticket is booked from the origin station of the train to any intermediate station or from any intermediate station to the terminating station. 

 

  • RLWL – Remote Location Waiting List: It appears when the ticket is on the waiting list and booked for two important intermediate stations. 

 

  • TQWL- Tatkal Quota Waiting List: This is the status for Tatkal tickets booking. This ticket gets confirmed without going to RAC. However, GNWL gets more preference than TQWL during chart preparation.

 

  • NOSB – NO Seat Berth: It appears when the ticket is booked for child passengers below 11 years old, which means the journey is allowed, but no specific seat will be provided.

 

6. PNR Confirmation Prediction

 

Technology has changed our lives easier than before. Indian Railways have adopted digitization and the latest AI and machine learning language, which can predict your PNR status by validating several parameters.

 

How to check PNR Status?

 

You can check PNR status with the help of the RailMitra app and website. To check the PNR status, you just need to follow these simple steps :

 

  • Download the RailMitra Mobile application and visit its website
  • Tap on the Check PNR Status from the menu bar
  • Enter your 10 PNR digit number and click on ‘Check the PNR Status.’
  • Your accurate PNR confirmation Details will appear on your screen.

 

How frequently PNR Status is Updated?

 

The status Of PNR changes every minute with the availability of seats and ticket cancellation. You can check Your ticket PNR status frequently on RailMitra. 

 

RailMitra is an AI-based technology that helps train passengers throughout their journey. It provides different rail tools to check PNR Status, Train Fare, Seat availability, Live Train Status and Order food on train to ease the journey stress of travellers.

Author: Rohit Choubey


Rohit is an avid blogger as well an eminent digital marketeer. He has immense passion towards food blogging. His hobbies include travelling, cooking and watching movies. He is the content analyst for RailMitra.

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Author: Rohit Choubey


Rohit is an avid blogger as well an eminent digital marketeer. He has immense passion towards food blogging. His hobbies include travelling, cooking and watching movies. He is the content analyst for RailMitra.