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Indian Railways PNR Status: Here’s what GNWL, RLWL and PQWL mean for your journey

Indian Railways PNR Status Check: With simplified processes, most passengers now prefer booking their train tickets online through IRCTC rather than using PRS counters at railway stations.

3 min readUpdated: Dec 19, 2025 01:42 PM IST

Indian Railways PNR Status: Indian Railways ticket booking (Image generated using AI)

Indian Railways reservation: Indian Railways (IR) is the cheapest modes of transport in the country compared to air or road travel. A majority of passengers rely on the rail network to reach their destinations. Besides regular train services, the national transporter also operates special trains during festivals and peak vacation periods. However, passengers must ensure they have a confirmed ticket before commencing their train journey.

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Indian Railways ticket booking

The train ticket booking is available through two modes – online and offline. For online reservations, passengers must have a valid user ID registered with IRCTC. For offline bookings, passengers need to visit the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters at railway stations.

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IRCTC has seen a significant surge in ticket bookings in recent times. With simplified processes, most passengers now prefer booking their train tickets online through IRCTC rather than using PRS counters at railway stations. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on December 3, 2025, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that e-ticketing now accounts for over 87% of all reserved tickets booked on Indian Railways.

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Indian Railways PNR status check, Indian Railways PNR Status Explained

During ticket booking, if a ticket does not get confirmed (CNF), it is often shown under different waiting list categories such as GNWL, RLWL or PQWL. Here’s what they mean:

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GNWL: General Waitlist
RLWL: Remote Location Waitlist
PQWL: Pooled Quota Waitlist
REGRET W/L: No more booking permitted
TWQL: Tatkal Quota Waitlist
RQWL: Roadside Quota Waitlist
RAC: Reservation Against Cancellation

How to check PNR status of train ticket

To check the PNR status of train ticket, one needs to follow below mentioned points

Go to the Indian Rail PNR enquiry website
Enter the PNR on your ticket
Click on submit
You will be able to see your ticket’s latest update

Anish Mondal

Anish Mondal is a journalist with over nine years of experience covering the railways and roadways. Currently a member of the Indianexpress.com editorial team, Anish specializes in high-impact sectors. Professional Journey Anish began his career at the public broadcaster Rajya Sabha Television (now Sansad TV), where he developed a foundational understanding of legislative processes and national governance. In 2018, he transitioned to digital financial journalism at FinancialExpress.com, spending nearly six years refining his expertise in market trends and corporate reporting. Before joining The Indian Express in 2025, he served as a key contributor at ETNowNews.com. Education & Expertise Anish’s reporting is backed by a rigorous academic background in communication and the humanities: Master of Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC) – Apeejay Stya University Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Production (PGTVRJP) – Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication Bachelor of Arts (English Honours) – University of Calcutta Areas of Coverage Connectivity: Detailed reporting on the expansion of Indian Railways and National Highway networks. ... Read More

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