Whenever you book your train with Indian Railways, you either get a hard copy of your ticket from the railway station or if you have booked online, you will get it in your mail or on your phone. And if you are a frequent train traveller, then you must be aware that there is a PNR number given on your ticket.
But what exactly is this? Whether you have a confirmed train ticket or a waitlisted ticket, you should know what your PNR number means and what is the PNR status of your ticket. So, here we are going to briefly discuss what a PNR number is, what PNR status is, how they differ from each other, and how to check both of them.
- What is a PNR Number?
PNR stands for Passenger Name Record and is generally a 10-digit number assigned to you when you book your train ticket with Indian Railways. It is generated to record the details of the passengers on different journeys in the database of Indian Railways.
For every different ticket, you will be given a different PNR number using which you can check all your journey details and manage your booking. However, if you book your tickets in groups (the group can have a maximum of six passengers), you will be assigned only a single PNR number.
- How to Find PNR Number on Train Tickets?
Finding a PNR number isn’t a big deal as it is easily available on your ticket. It can be given in two ways considering people book tickets offline as well as online.
On the counter tickets that you have booked directly at the railway station or from the booking window, you can find the PNR number at the top left corner of your ticket.
On e-tickets that you have booked online, you can find the number in a separate cell at the top left corner. It is usually given in the format – XXX – XXXXXXX
- What Does the 10-digit PNR Number Mean?
Whether you have booked your ticket with an AC or non-AC coach, you will have a 10-digit PNR number on your ticket. The first three digits of the PNR number signify the Passenger Reservation System and are all about the origin and the railway zones from where you are boarding your train. The last seven digits are some random numbers so every ticket has a unique PNR number.
- What is PNR Status?
As the name suggests, PNR status is the booking status of your train ticket. It informs you about your journey details, ranging from your seat number and boarding station to the current status (whether your ticket is confirmed or is still waitlisted).
In short, it is the status of your train ticket reservation. By checking the PNR status, you can get information about the train name, train number, current status (RAC, confirmed, waitlisted), travel class, date of your train journey, origin station, destination, train ticket fare, status at the time of booking, etc.
- How to Check PNR Status?
There are two ways to check your train ticket PNR status:
- Check PNR Status Offline
Visit the nearby railway station and get the information from the enquiry counter. You can also check the final reservation chart which is usually prepared only a few hours before the train departure.
- Check PNR Status Online
There are several ways to check your PNR status online. You can:
- Download the IRCTC app and log into your account to check the status
- Visit the official website of IRCTC
- Download a travel app like MakeMyTrip
- How to Check PNR Status by SMS
In case you don’t wish to visit the railway station or don’t have access to the internet, you can use the SMS way to check your train ticket PNR status. You just need to send a text message (that includes your PNR number) to 139 (Railway customer care number).
The message should be in the format: PNR <YOUR TEN DIGIT PNR NUMBER>
- How to Check PNR Status through a Call
You can also check your train PNR status by just making a call. All you need to do is dial 139 from your phone, select the preferred language, press 1 for PNR enquiry, and enter your PNR number. You will get the status on the call itself.
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