Why Waitlist Tickets When Confirmed Don’t Have Seat Numbers, Indian Railways Answers – News18

Frequent train travellers often encounter a puzzling situation: receiving a confirmed waiting ticket without an assigned seat or berth number. The reason behind this phenomenon has piqued the curiosity of many. Indian Railways has now shed light on this aspect, offering an insight into the process that underpins these occurrences.

According to railway reports, when a confirmed ticket is cancelled someone with a waiting list number of one stands to benefit. The vacant spot resulting from the cancellation is promptly allocated to the first person on the waiting list, ensuring swift confirmation. The passenger is notified of this development through a message sent by Indian Railways.

The Ministry of Railways further explains that train charts are prepared four hours before a train’s scheduled departure. It’s common for passengers to cancel their tickets prior to chart preparation, which subsequently leads to unoccupied confirmed seats. In addition to that, each coach features an emergency quota designated by the Ministry of Railways. These reserved seats or berths under the emergency quota occasionally remain vacant.

As part of the allocation process, the railway system assigns these vacant seats or berths just before chart preparation. Priority is given to passengers with waitlisted tickets who have specified their seat preferences during reservation. The system also prioritizes senior citizens and women passengers, even if they haven’t indicated a preference. In cases where a Passenger Name Record (PNR) includes six reservations—three confirmed and three waitlisted—the system aims to allocate seats or berths to the waitlisted passengers for their convenience.

Despite the waiting list being confirmed, the intricate logistics of passenger allocation, based on preferences and priorities, sometimes lead to passengers receiving confirmed tickets without a seat or berth numbers. It’s a result of the system’s endeavour to optimize seat allocation for all travellers.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) offers an alternative to the traditional ticket counter hassle by providing an efficient online ticket booking platform since 2002. By logging onto the official website, irctc.co.in, passengers can easily register, create an account, and book tickets in a few clicks, all from the comfort of their preferred location.