When booking train tickets, it’s common to encounter waiting list (WL) tickets if the demand exceeds the train’s capacity. Not all WL tickets are the same, however. Indian Railways has various types of waiting lists, each with different confirmation priorities. Knowing these differences can help travelers understand their chances of getting a confirmed seat.
Types of Waiting Lists in Indian Railways
General Waiting List (GNWL)
Remote Location Waiting List (RLWL)
Pooled Quota Waiting List (PQWL)
Tatkal Quota Waiting List (TQWL)
Roadside Location Waiting List (RLWL)
Current Reservation Ticket (CURR)
RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation)
Each type serves different reservation priorities and plays a role in how quickly a waitlisted ticket may get confirmed. Let’s look at these types in detail.
- General Waiting List (GNWL)
The General Waiting List (GNWL) is the most common type and typically has the highest priority for confirmation.
Key Features of GNWL:
Applicability: GNWL tickets are usually issued when the passenger boards the train from its originating station.
Confirmation Chances: Generally, GNWL has the highest chance of confirmation as more cancellations occur at the source station.
Priority: GNWL tickets are confirmed before other types (like RLWL, PQWL, and TQWL) and are converted into Confirmed or RAC based on cancellations.
GNWL is a good choice if you’re boarding from the train’s starting point as the chances of confirmation are generally higher due to its priority in the system.
- Remote Location Waiting List (RLWL)
Remote Location Waiting List (RLWL) applies to passengers boarding from intermediate or smaller stations.
Key Features of RLWL:
Applicability: Issued when the passenger boards at a station between the train’s origin and destination, rather than the starting or final station.
Confirmation Chances: Lower than GNWL because RLWL has a lower priority and is only confirmed if GNWL waitlisted passengers are already accommodated.
Booking Quota: Each train route has specific quotas for different stops, meaning seats are allocated based on location.
Passengers with RLWL tickets have relatively lower confirmation chances, especially if there are fewer cancellations for intermediate stops.
- Pooled Quota Waiting List (PQWL)
The Pooled Quota Waiting List (PQWL) is for passengers traveling between stations with fewer boarding passengers or on longer journeys.
Key Features of PQWL:
Applicability: Relevant for passengers boarding and deboarding from stations that aren’t the starting or ending station.
Confirmation Chances: Moderate confirmation chances, but lower than GNWL and slightly higher than RLWL.
Quota System: Since it’s a pooled system, multiple stations share the PQWL quota, and confirmation depends on cancellations within this pool.
If booking a long-distance journey with multiple mid-station stops, PQWL could apply, though the confirmation chances might be uncertain.
- Tatkal Quota Waiting List (TQWL)
Tatkal Quota Waiting List (TQWL) applies to tickets booked under the Tatkal scheme, which is meant for last-minute travel plans.
Key Features of TQWL:
Applicability: TQWL tickets are issued for Tatkal tickets once all confirmed Tatkal seats are sold out.
Confirmation Chances: TQWL has the lowest confirmation chance, and it’s rare for TQWL tickets to get confirmed unless there are significant last-minute cancellations.
Priority: TQWL has a lower priority than GNWL, RLWL, and PQWL.
For travelers booking last-minute, it’s important to know that TQWL tickets are typically less likely to get confirmed, and passengers should be prepared for alternative travel arrangements.
- Roadside Location Waiting List (RLWL)
This category applies to passengers boarding at specific stops where limited tickets are available, catering to roadside locations or smaller stations.
Key Features of RLWL:
Applicability: For passengers boarding or deboarding at roadside stations.
Confirmation Chances: Lower than GNWL and PQWL, often relying on cancellations at smaller, less popular stops.
Reservation Priority: Similar to RLWL but depends heavily on station-specific allocations.
RLWL tickets can be challenging to confirm if many passengers are boarding from roadside stops with limited quotas.
- Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC)
The RAC list is not technically a waiting list but provides seats that are close to confirmed.
Key Features of RAC:
Applicability: Available for passengers who need a confirmed seat, though RAC passengers may share a berth.
Confirmation Chances: RAC tickets are more likely to get confirmed into full berths than any other waitlisted tickets because they are prioritized when cancellations occur.
Partial Confirmation: Even without a full berth confirmation, RAC passengers have the assurance of getting a seat on the train.
RAC tickets have the highest probability of getting confirmed as they are above WL tickets in priority and will generally get converted to confirmed tickets if there are enough cancellations.
- Current Reservation Ticket (CURR)
Current Reservation or CURR tickets are available for booking up until the final chart preparation, usually a few hours before departure.
Key Features of CURR:
Applicability: Only available at stations where current booking counters are active.
Confirmation Chances: High, if seats are available in real-time.
Same-Day Bookings: CURR tickets are often issued for same-day or short-term travel.
Which Waiting List Gets Confirmed First?
The likelihood of a ticket’s confirmation varies depending on several factors, including the type of waiting list and the number of cancellations. Here’s a rough priority order for ticket confirmation:
RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation)
Always has a higher chance because it is directly prioritized after confirmed bookings.
GNWL (General Waiting List)
High chances due to its priority status for passengers boarding from the originating station.
PQWL (Pooled Quota Waiting List)
Good chances if cancellations are available within its pooled allocation.
RLWL (Remote Location Waiting List)
Moderate chances, depending on mid-point station demand and cancellations.
TQWL (Tatkal Waiting List)
Lowest chance as it has the least priority and only gets confirmed after all other lists.
Factors Affecting Confirmation Chances
Several factors influence the confirmation chances of waiting list tickets:
Cancellations: The number of cancellations, especially from passengers with confirmed tickets, increases the likelihood of waiting list confirmations.
Travel Season: Demand and waiting list confirmations vary during holiday seasons, weekends, and peak travel times.
Journey Distance: Long-distance journeys generally have higher chances for GNWL confirmations due to the larger number of cancellations over time.
Quota Availability: Different trains have varied quotas for each station, influencing the chances for each WL type.
How to Track and Check Confirmation Chances
Travelers can track their waitlisted ticket confirmation chances in real time on the Indian Railways or IRCTC website and app. Services such as Predict PNR Confirmation Probability also help predict chances based on historical trends.
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