Why is GNWL, PQWL, RSWL, WL written on train tickets? Know what these terms mean

Indian Railways Ticket: The Indian Railways, the fourth largest railway network in the world, operates an average of around 13,000 passenger trains that cater to millions of travelers across the country on a daily basis. However, despite the vast number of trains, its not an easy task to book a spot in an Indian Railways, due to the sheer number of the country’s population that use the national transporter for commuting, especially during the festive season.

Nevertheless, you may have come across certain terms like WL, PQWL, GNWL, and RSWL, printed on your ticket whenever you make a booking that is not confirmed. These denote the status of your booking, and determines whether a traveler gets a confirmed seat on a train or not. Let us find out what these terms mean and signify:

  • WL or Waiting List: This denotes that you are on the waiting list and your ticket is not confirmed. In this scenario, you will only get a seat if a spot opens up with someone cancelling their confirmed ticket.
  • GNWL or General Waiting List: The most common and highest priority waiting list, General Waiting List (GNWL) applies to tickets booked from the starting station or any other major station which is nearby. GNWL tickets have the highest chances of being confirmed compared to other waiting list bookings.
  • PQWL or Pooled Quota Waiting List: The Pooled Quota Waiting List has lower chances of confirmation, and is for a shared quota of tickets among a group of smaller stations or a specific route.
  • RSWL or Remote Location Waiting List: The RSWL are unconfirmed bookings for smaller stations that serve as important halts along a major route. This waiting list often has a lower confirmation chance.

Other key details on your ticket

Besides the booking status, your train ticket also has other important details, including the coach number, (for example S3, B1), and seat or berth details such as LB (Lower Berth), MB (Middle Berth – in Sleeper class), UB (Upper Berth), SL (Side Lower), and SU (Side Upper).

Its noteworthy to mention that the reservation chart is finalized around 4 hours before departure, and waiting list bookings can get confirmed in the final passenger list, subject to conditions.

Notably, the Indian Railways sells train tickets to passengers at subsidized prices. Train tickets are sold at a 46 percent discount, with the national transporter giving a whopping sum of Rs 56,993 crore in total subsidy to all categories of passengers each year, according to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

News