If you are uninitiated about the entire process of train travel, and to what exactly is a Train PNR status,this may just be your ready-reckoner. PNR stands for ‘Passenger Name Record’. It is a 10-digit number that is printed on your ticket. PNR status in the Indian Railway, acts as a unique identity of each and every passenger who travels by the IRCTC.
It is interesting to note that whether you may have booked your ticket online or through a railway station counter, a PNR number is always assigned to you. In case you happen to travel in a group – maximum of six passengers can get booked under a single PNR number.
COMPONENTS OF A PNR
Often when you are new to the world of train travel, and manage to book your ticket on the IRCTC website, then you must know the details of the ten-digit number on your e-ticket. Here we try to address some basic questions that usually pops in a passenger’s mind.
So first, what kind of information is included in Passenger Name Record in the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation? (IRCTC)
It includes:
– A passenger’s personal details like the name, age and sex.
– Other ticket-related details like the date of travel, train number, travel class, travel berth, along with coach, seat number and the itinerary.
– Information such as, transaction details, along with the payment mode, transaction ID and ticket charge.
SIMPLIFYING THE PNR
It is interesting to note that the PNR number can be divided into two parts. Here’s how.
1. PNR has two parts – the three digits in the beginning and the last seven digits. The first three digits of the PNR will usually state the Passenger Reservation System that is usually known as PRS, from which your ticket has been booked.
2. PNR number’s first digit depends upon which zone is the train from. It could be New Delhi, Chennai, Secunderabad, Mumbai or Kolkata. For instance, if a ticket is booked from Calcutta, then the PNR’s first digit should be 6. Further, the next two digits of the PNR will depend upon the PRS centre which is in Kolkata.
3. The last seven digits are generated randomly, but they are exclusive and unique to the individual passenger/group of travellers.
HOW THE IRCTC PNR STATUS WORKS
So by now you know the basics of a PNR number. Let us understand how it works. Each occasion you reserve a train ticket from IRCTC’s website, from other private websites or from the train station’s ticket counter, an exclusive PNR number is generated. Now, this very number is fed into the database of CRIS or the Centre for Railway Information Systems, which will preserve the information of all the people travelling. But hey! What is a PNR status? Here’s what you need to know:
The individual’s train’s PNR Status tells you whether or not, the ticket is confirmed.
Here is a handy guide on PNR codes and their elaborate meanings:
Confirm (CNF): It means that for travel, you have a confirmed seat in the concerned train. When it is confirmed, the seat number is allotted when the charts are prepared.
Canceled (CAN): It means that the seat that was booked by the passenger has been cancelled.
Reservation against Cancellation (RAC): The RAC ticket will only be issued once all the seats are blocked, this means that the booked seat is on wait-list. Now if one happens to be lucky and one of the original bookings gets cancelled, thenm you still get the seat and it’s confirmed! Else, if that does not happen, you have to share the seat with another co-passenger.
HOW TO CHECK PNR STATUS LIVE
Just follow these simple steps.
1. You can check the PNR status by going to the official website of IRCTC. So log in and hit IRCTC on the address bar.
2. On the page that appears, click on the ‘PNR Enquiry’ link.
3. And then, enter your given PNR number and click on the ‘Submit’ tab.
4. Your PNR Status appears.
These days, to save yourself the hassle of logging and checking the PNR status on the website, you can simply get it via an SMS (Short Message Service) from your mobile. To do so, send an SMS in one of the following formats:
1) ’10 digit number’ and send it to 5676757
2) ’10 digit number’ and send it to 139.
Yet another way to make a PNR status enquiry is by making use of Android applications. There are specific apps in the play store that let you check the PNR status. Just download one of the applications on your smart phone device and check the PNR status.
MORE ON PNR
Here are a few more pointers:
– Do you know how to locate your PNR number on tickets? Well, one can find the PNR number on the top-left corner on a printed copy of the ticket. However, on an e-ticket, the PNR will be mentioned right on top of the page in a different cell.
– Do you know what an RLWL status is? Well, tickets that have this PNR status will be issued for stations that lie between destination stations and their source. Such stations have a different seat quota.
– What exactly is a Passenger Name Record Status Prediction? If in the beginning, one does not get a confirmed seat, then you can learn about the chances of getting a confirmed seat through PNR prediction. This happens by utilising the bygone PNR data that is not open to public. This PNR prediction makes use of Data Analytics and Machine Learning Techniques to announce the winner! You can log in to various websites of the Indian Railways to get PNR prediction.
1) Just input your PNR number in the box
2) Click Submit
3) And the PNR Prediction will be displayed based on the traveller’s information.
Please note, the status announced is based on computer algorithms, and can be subject to incorrectness.
Now that you are armed with all the possible information about PNR, go plan your next train ride with ease.
Yatra Trains provides all Indian railways services like train enquiry, train running status, & railway reservation. Just Log to its website and book your train tickets along with Flights Hotels, Bus and Holidays.