The first digit of your PNR no. represents the Railway Zone under which the originating station of your train falls. It always starts with an even digit except 0. There are 16 Zones in Indian Railways (excluding Konkan Railway) and the following table shows which digit corresponds to what zone :
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Starting Digit
PRS Region
Railway Zones Covered
2
New Delhi PRS
NR, NCR, NER, NWR
4
Chennai PRS
SR, SCR, SWR
6
Kolkata PRS
NFR, ER, ECR, ECoR, SER, SECR
8
Mumbai PRS
CR, WR, WCR
This means that if you have booked a ticket from any station to any other station in 22177 Mumbai - Varanasi Mahanagari Express which starts from Mumbai CSMT belonging to Central Railways(CR), the PNR number will start with the digit 8.
Similarly, if you have booked a ticket in 22178 Varanasi - Mumbai Mahanagari Express which starts from Varanasi belonging to Northern Railways(NR), the PNR number will start with the digit 2.
The next 2 digits after the first digit represent the PRS location within the train originating zone. Each zone can have multiple PRS locations with different codes. PRS location is a location with a counter-ticket booking facility. Example - Ghatkopar station reservation counter is a PRS location and Dadar station reservation counter is a different PRS location within Mumbai and both will have separate codes.
The last 7 digits of a PNR are randomly generated and do not contain any specific information.
The 16 Zones of Indian Railways are depicted in the following table:
Railway Zones
Zone Code
Name of the Zone
Zonal Headquarter Stn
CR
Central Railways
Mumbai CSMT
ER
Eastern Railways
Howrah
ECR
East Central Railways
Hajipur
ECoR
Eastern Coastal Railways
Bhubaneshwar
NR
Northern Railways
New Delhi
NCR
North Central Railways
Prayagraj
NER
North Eastern Railways
Gorakhpur
NFR
North-East Frontier Railways
Maligaon Guwahati
NWR
North Western Railways
Jaipur
SR
Southern Railway
Chennai
SCR
South Central Railway
Secunderabad
SWR
South Western Railways
Hubli
SER
South Eastern Railways
Howrah
SECR
South Eastern Central Railways
Bilaspur
WR
Western Railways
Mumbai Churchgate
WCR
West Central Railways
Jabalpur
Short Forms in PNR
Your PNR status may conta in many complex short forms that might sometimes be confusing. There are more than 20 such short forms that might appear in your PNR status. The following table denotes what each one of them means:
Know your IRCTC PNR Status Code
S.No
Symbol/Shortform
Description
1
CAN / MOD
Cancelled or Modified Passenger
2
CNF / Confirmed
Confirmed (Coach/Berth number will be available after chart preparation)
3
RAC
Reservation Against Cancellation
4
WL #
Waiting List Number
5
RLWL
Remote Location Wait List
6
GNWL
General Wait List
7
PQWL
Pooled Quota Wait List
8
REGRET/WL
No More Booking Permitted
9
RELEASED
Ticket Not Cancelled but Alternative Accommodation Provided
10
R# #
RAC Coach Number Berth Number
11
WEBCAN
Railway Counter Ticket Passenger cancelled through internet and Refund not collected
12
WEBCANRF
Railway Counter Ticket Passenger cancelled through internet and Refund collected
13
RQWL
Roadside Quota Waitlist
14
DPWL
Duty Pass Waitlist
15
TQWL
Tatkal Quota Waitlist
16
SS
Senior Citizen Quota / Single Lady Passenger above 45 Years
17
NC
No Choice - When the opted berth/seat preference not allotted
18
HP
Handicapped Quota
19
HO
Head Quarters / High Official Quota ( popularly known as VIP Quota)
20
PT
Premium Tatkal
21
NOSB
No Seat Berth (For child passenger in 5-12 years age range opting to travel without berth)
Do you know what happens to the IRCTC PNR after you have completed the journey ?
A PNR number for a specific Journey gets flushed 5 days after the date of journey. A flushed PNR means that its status cannot be checked online.
Flushed PNR for a particular journey remain in railways’ database for 9 months after which they are eligible to be assigned to another journey.
FAQs
How can I complete an online train ticket booking with redRail?
Booking a train ticket online can be completed with ease in just a few simple steps. If you’re on the app, first click on the “redRail” icon that’s displayed on your screen. Enter the source and destination locations along with the date of travel. Once done, a list of trains operating on your route will be displayed. Select the train and class of your choice, select the boarding station, enter your registered IRCTC id, enter the details of the passenger and complete the payment. After the payment, enter the IRCTC password and that's it - your tickets will be booked. You will receive an email, a WhatsApp message and a text message containing details of your booking.
Do I need to make an account on the redBus platform to complete my IRCTC train ticket booking online?
Yes, and this has its advantages. This would help expedite the booking process when you have to enter details about the passenger and while completing the payment process.
How is redRail connected to redBus?
redRail is a new product that’s offered by redBus. Utilising its massive successful experience in the bus industry, redBus aims to attain the same success in the train travel domain as well. A customer can view, book, and complete their payment of train tickets on the redBus app by clicking on the “redRail” option that’s provided.
Are there any service fees levied when completing my payment through redRail?
As a promotional limited time offer, there are NO service fees nor any payment gateway charges that need to be incurred by the customer when they book their train tickets online through redRail.
How do I cancel a train ticket booked through redRail?
Cancelling an online train ticket booking through redRail can be done as easily as booking a train ticket. When you view the details of your train ticket booking on the app under My Bookings, you are presented with the option to cancel the ticket. You can either select some of the passengers or all the passengers to cancel and then proceed. A small cancellation fee might be charged based on the timing of your cancellation request as per IRCTC cancellation and refund policy.
How do I pay for my online train ticket booking that is made through redRail?
You can complete your online train ticket booking by using any of the variety of payment options that are available at your disposal. Customers can use any amount that’s remaining in their redBus wallet, credit or debit cards, Wallets such as Amazon Pay or through UPI payment gateways such as GooglePay, PhonePe, etc. Payments made online on redRail are safe & secure and eliminate the need to wait in a queue.
Are there any cancellation charges levied when a train ticket is cancelled?
Yes, there are. Depending on when the cancellation was initiated, an amount might get deducted as per the cancellation and refund rules of IRCTC and Indian Railways.
How many people can I book on a single train ticket booking?
Customers can book a maximum of 6 passengers in a single train ticket booking that’s made through redRail. However, in the case of Tatkal ticket, customers can book a maximum of 4 passengers in a single ticket booking through redRail.
What are some of the advantages of booking a train ticket with redRail?
One of the key advantages of making an online train ticket booking with redRail is convenience. In the current environment where safety and social distancing is a priority, customers can view, select, and make their payments online from the comfort of their homes. redRail displays vital information about their train journey.
Do I get the option to select my seat or berth on the train?
Yes, you can. While entering the details of the passenger, you can select the berth of your choice. If there are multiple seats booked through one booking, you can select a berth for each passenger individually. You also get the option to make a reservation preference such as book only if all berths/seats are allotted in the same coach, book only if one or two lower berths are allotted, and more.
Should I book my train ticket in advance?
It is advisable to complete your online train ticket booking through redRail in advance as this would ensure that you have more choices when it comes to the trains operating on your route as well as ensures that you have more options related to selecting the berth of your choice.
Where can I view the train ticket that I have booked through redRail?
After you have successfully booked a train ticket through redRail, you will receive an email, a WhatsApp message and a text message containing the details about your booking. You can also view your bookings under the “My Bookings” section of the redBus app.
Can I book a train ticket under the Tatkal quota through redRail?
Yes, you can book Tatkal quota train tickets through redRail. With the convenience of viewing updated trains and their berth availability, it is advisable to complete your online train ticket booking at the earliest through redRail.
Are there any offers that can be availed when making an online train ticket booking on redRail?
Yes. redRail offers are provided regularly and the offer details can be found on the redRail homepage or the app. Enter the offer code at the time of making your payment and avail a discount on your train tickets online.
Do I need to carry any documents with me while I board my train?
You do not require a photo ID when you book your train ticket through redRail, but, you will need to carry an ID when you board the train. IDs such as PAN card, Voter ID, Driving Licence, Aadhar card or any other photo ID that has a serial number issued by the Central/State Government.
