Three people search for the same overnight train from Hyderabad to Bengaluru. One sees AVL 12 in AC 3 Tier. Another, searching an hour later, sees RAC 6. The third, booking for a family of four, sees WL 38 in Sleeper.
Each of them is looking at the same train. But each is being offered a very different kind of ticket, and each needs something different from the booking platform.
redRail, the IRCTC-authorised train booking platform from redBus, displays three key seat availability statuses: Available, RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) and WL (Waitlisted). For anyone doing online train ticket booking, understanding these statuses helps determine whether a seat is available, a shared berth may be allotted or the booking is still on the waiting list.
AVL stands for available. The number shows how many seats are still open, and a passenger who books it gets a confirmed berth straight away.
For this passenger, speed matters most. AVL 12 can drop to AVL 2 within minutes on a busy route. That is where the IRCTC login helps. On redRail, the passenger can sign in with their existing IRCTC user ID, with no new account to set up and no time lost.
Before paying, they can also apply any running offers or coupon codes on redRail at checkout. A confirmed seat at a lower price is the best outcome of the three.
There is one more thing to think about. A confirmed ticket on a work trip may still get cancelled if a meeting moves. If they pick Free Cancellation, available on selected trains and classes, they can cancel within the allowed time and get the full fare back without railway cancellation charges.
RAC stands for Reservation Against Cancellation. The passenger can board the train but shares a side lower berth with another RAC passenger until a full berth becomes free.
The fare is the same as a confirmed ticket, so this passenger should check whether a full berth is possible before paying. redRail Confirm may find a confirmed seat on the same train when booked from an earlier station on the route, while they still board at Hyderabad.
If they go ahead with RAC, the ticket will move up as confirmed passengers cancel. They can follow their PNR status to see whether a full berth has come through before leaving for the station.
If the status looks confusing or the berth number does not appear, the 24x7 customer care team can help in several languages.
WL means waitlisted. The family does not have seats and cannot board with a fully waitlisted e-ticket.
The ticket moves up as people cancel, but WL 38 for four people is a real risk. General Waitlist (GNWL) tickets clear more often than Remote Location (RLWL) or Pooled Quota (PQWL) tickets, but nothing is certain. If the ticket is still fully waitlisted when the chart is prepared, it is cancelled automatically.
This passenger has the most to gain from the platform's features, and they work best in order.
First, they can check other classes on the same train. The sleeper may show WL 38, while the AC 3 Tier still has seats.
Second, redRail Confirm can look for four confirmed seats from an earlier station along the route. The family still boards at Hyderabad, though the fare is charged from the booked station.
Third, if the direct train is full in every way, Connecting Trains shows journeys on two trains with seats on both, linked through a station in between.
If none of these work and the family still books the waitlisted ticket, they can add Confirm or 3X Refund, now called Alternate Trip, on selected trains in redRail. If the ticket stays fully waitlisted after the chart, they get three times the ticket amount as refund.
Part returns to the original payment method, and the rest comes as a voucher for a train on redRail. For a family that must travel that night, the voucher can help pay for a bus instead.
The status on the search page is easy to skim past. But it tells passengers exactly what they are buying: a seat, half a berth, or a place in a queue.
Each status also points to a different set of tools. The first passenger needs speed and flexibility, the second needs a way to upgrade or track, and the third needs a backup plan. Reading the status carefully is how passengers know which one to reach for.
An Indo-American News website. It covers Gossips, Politics, Movies, Technolgy, and Sports News and Photo Galleries and Live Coverage of Events via Youtube. The website is established in 2015 and is owned by AGK FIRE INC.
This website uses cookies.
