What every train ticket status actually means
WL, RLWL, PQWL, TQWL, RAC — the codes IRCTC puts on your PNR, in plain language. Where we have tracked enough tickets, each page also carries the share that really ended up confirmed, measured across 2,60,212 tracked PNRs.
General waitlist — WL is the general waiting list.
Remote location waitlist — RLWL is issued when you board at an intermediate station rather than the train's origin.
Pooled quota waitlist — PQWL shares one pool of berths between several intermediate stations along the route, rather than reserving a slice for one station.
Tatkal waitlist — TQWL is a waitlist inside the Tatkal quota.
Request waitlist — RQWL is issued for a station pair that does not fit the train's general or pooled quotas, so the berth has to be requested against the general allotment.
RAC — RAC means you can board and you have a seat, but you share a berth with another RAC passenger until a full berth frees up.
Confirmed — CNF means your berth is confirmed.
No seat berth — NOSB is issued for a child aged 5 to 11 booked without a berth, at reduced fare.
More on RailTC
Your ticket's status is only half the question — here is the rest.