PNR status explained: what CNF, RAC, WL, GNWL, RLWL and PQWL mean

Your PNR — Passenger Name Record — is the 10-digit number printed on your ticket. It tracks a single booking and its current reservation status for every passenger on it. Checking the PNR is how you find out whether your seat is confirmed or still on a waiting list.

To look up your own booking, enter the 10-digit number in the PNR status tool.

Confirmed and shared-seat statuses

• CNF (Confirmed): your berth or seat is confirmed, with a coach and berth allotted.
• RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation): you can board and are given shared seating, which often turns into a full berth if someone cancels.
• WL (Waiting List): your ticket is waitlisted. It may confirm as others cancel; on some quotas a ticket that stays WL can be auto-cancelled before departure.

The waiting lists: GNWL, RLWL and PQWL

Not all waiting lists behave the same way. The prefix tells you which pool your ticket sits in, and that affects how quickly it is likely to move.

• GNWL (General Waiting List): the most common list, usually with the best chance of confirmation.
• RLWL (Remote Location Waiting List): used for intermediate stations; it clears independently of the general list and often moves more slowly.
• PQWL (Pooled Quota Waiting List): a quota shared across several short-distance stations, where confirmation chances are usually lower.

These descriptions are general guidance, not a prediction for your specific ticket. Actual movement depends on cancellations, the quota, and how far ahead you are on the list.

What ‘chart prepared’ means

A few hours before departure the passenger chart is finalised. Once the chart is prepared, status changes are limited, so this is the point at which a waitlisted ticket either confirms or does not. Check your PNR before the chart is made so you have time to plan an alternative if needed.