Are you looking for an answer about the RAC, Waiting list, and Tatkal Indian Railway Tickets?
If yes, you are at the right place.
In this article you will not only know about RAC, Waitlist, and Tatkal Tickets but also how ticket allocation works.
I travel via train regularly. I hope these travel tips helps you clear all the doubts you have regarding booking Indian Railways Train Tickets.
Booking Window
Some short-distance trains (normally daytime trains) can only be reserved 30 days in advance.
The earlier you do train ticket booking online, the more likely you are to get a seat/berth that you want on the train and the class of your choice.
Booking later reduces your chances of getting a Confirmed (CNF) ticket.
In that case, booking a Tatkal Ticket is the only choice to get a confirmed seat. There’s still a catch. You must have a good wifi connection to grab those few tickets available via Tatkal.
Booking on Tatkal increases the fare too. Thus, it might become expensive.
What is RAC?
The full form of RAC is Reservation Against Cancellation.
Which means, you will get a confirmed tickets only if –
→ A confirmed ticket holder cancels their ticket due to some inconvenience
→ or a confirmed ticket holder receives a free upgrade.
In case your ticket is confirmed as RAC (Eg. RAC 2), you will get a seat but only half of it.
You will have to share the same seat with another RAC holder.
The only advantage of a A RAC ticket compared to a Waitlisted ticket, is that you can board the train with a shared-seat.
The solution you may ask? Well, book in advance.
RAC Ticket Availability
RAC tickets are available only in the following categories.
→ 2-tier air-conditioning (4 seats/carrier)
→ 3-tier air-conditioning (6 seats/carrier)
→ First Class without air conditioning (4 seats/carrier)
→ Sleeper Class without air conditioning (up to 12 places per carriage)
General coaches don’t have RAC. You can book them at the station. It does not ensure you a seat.
Let’s Know how RAC and WL tickets work
The railways will sell RAC tickets when they have sold all seats in a particular train or Class (2A, 3A, & First Class SL).
Once all RAC tickets are sold, a waiting list is created for all train classes, and you are sold a ticket on the waiting list.
A RAC and WL status will get you closer to a fully confirmed seat in accordance with the number of cancellations that happens.
When can I board a train based on Train Ticket Status?
→ WL 10/WL 4 – You cannot board the train.
→ WL 10/RAC 2 – You can board the train, but you may have to share with passengers holding RAC tickets.
→ WL 10/CNF – You can board the train.
Can my RAC/WL position shift?
The waitlist and RAC positions always seem to improve, but it depends on how far in advance your tickets are purchased.
Also, smaller stations has lesser chance getting it confirmed. (Sharing it from my personal experience)
Reasons for RAC/WL Position Shift Improvement
1. No cancellation charges – People cancel freely.
2. They often book in multiple classes/dates and cancel the rest.
3. Final reservation chart – You’d be surprised how much the list shifts after it’s prepared.
4. Free upgrades – Passengers may be upgraded up to two classes if there’s space, especially from SL to 3A, 3A to 2A.
I was once upgraded from 3A to 2A while traveling from Guwahati to Siliguri.
How Can I Tell if My RAC/WL Has Improved?
You will need your PNR number (Passenger Record Number).
It is a 10-digit (3+7) number located on the left-hand side of your ticket.
How to Check Train Ticket Status?
1. You can enter your PNR on Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry page. You will be asked to write an answer of a equation for verification
2. Online service is available from 04:00 to 23:30 IST (09:30–05:00 GMT).
3. Call 139 in India. Follow the instructions and type your PNR.
4. The first number shows Booked Status (RAC/WL) and the second number represents your current position.
If confirmed it will show – CNF with Seat/Berth and Coach number. Eg. CNF/A1/17
5. Use PNR machines at major stations (though they can be inconvenient).
How Can I Determine If My RAC/WL Will Improve?
1. Visit Indianrail.gov.in.
→ Enter your departure and destination stations,
→ the date of your journey,
→ your class choice, as well as
→ your departure and destination stations.
Click on “Get It“.
3. Select your train.
4. Choose a date 85 days from now and click ‘Get Availability’.
- This gives you an idea of how many tickets are available in total.
- Some may have already been sold before 85 days.
- Some trains only allow bookings 30 days in advance.
Example:
If you are WL 10, and you need to cancel 8 tickets to get a confirmation, you can:
→ Search for availability 5 days before your departure.
→ Click ‘Get the next 6 days’ to check patterns.
→ Note if Fridays, holidays, or particular days are busier.
This info isn’t absolute, but it gives you a fair idea.
Indian Railway Tatkal Tickets
When you check for tickets one day or two days before, chances are tickets are unavailable.
In such cases the Tatkal Tickets can save your day.
If you need a ticket for a train travelling tomorrow, the tatkal ticket booking time by Indian Railways are as follows –
1. For AC Classes: 10 am
2. For Non-AC Classes (Sleeper-SL): 11 am
You have to pay an additional payment for tatkal tickets based on the distance between your boarding and final destination.
According to the latest notification, from July 1st 2025, you account at IRCTC must be Aadhaar verified to book Indian Raliways Tatkal Tickets.
Also, the new rule has increased the chance of securing confirmed tickets.
The timing for Agents to book tatkal tickets has been delayed half an hour of the above mentioned timing.
Which means, the Agents can book tickets only from 10:30 am for AC Classes and 11:30 am for non-AC (Sleeper) Classes.
Latest Update on Indian Railway Luggage Limit
As of August 20, 2025 –
→ In AC First Class (1A), you can carry luggage up to 70 kg.
→ In AC Two Tier (2A), you can carry luggage up to 50 kg.
→ in AC Three Tier (3A) and Sleeper Class (SL), you can carry luggage up to 40 kg.
→ In General Class (GN), the limit for luggage is 35 kg.
While these rules were announced before, but majority of the stations weren’t strict about these. But now they are.
At present these rules apply to few stations like Prayagraj Jn, Kanpur Central, Mirzapur, Tundla, Aligarh Jn, and Etawah in the NCR Railway Zone.
You can watch this video on Vantage With Palki Sharma on Firstpost –
Summing it Up
I hope the article helped you in clearing your doubts about RAC, Waiting List and Taktal Tickets of Indian Railways.
This article will be updated from time to time in regard to the new changes made by Indian Railways.
To know or add more about train tickets, share your doubts in the comment section. I will try to add those answers eventually in this article.
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