Train seat availability refers to the number of unreserved seats available in a particular class of train. It may vary as per the class and quota you choose for booking your tickets. Checking seat availability helps you know whether unreserved seats are available in your preferred class or have already been booked. It also predicts the possibility of confirmation of your tickets as per the journey date and waitlisted passengers.
If you want to check the seat availability of any long-distance train run by an Indian railway, simply enter the train name or number in the search box and hit "Get Availability". Your enquired train's berth availability will be displayed on your screen, and on clicking "load more," you will get to know further train seat availability.
You will get the seat availability of all classes available on a particular train, except general. As this class doesn't have a reservation facility, you can get the general ticket directly from the counter on your journey date.
Current seat availability refers to the availability of unreserved seats after chart preparation. Sometimes seats remain vacant even after chart preparation, which can be reserved under current availability on PRS counters as well as online through the IRCTC website. While checking train seat availability, these are shown with the prefix CURR_AVL. No waiting list tickets are issued based on current berth availability.
When checking train seat availability on Indian Train, change the quota from general to tatkal, and then press the "Go" button. After that, Tatkal seat availability will be displayed on your screen. Tatkal tickets can be booked 24 hours prior to the journey date.
Yes, train berth availability might change from CNF to RAC or waitlisted if passengers keep booking tickets for a particular journey date. On the other hand, it can move from waitlisted to RAC to CNF if passengers with a confirmed ticket cancel their ticket.
GNWL120 means general waiting list 120, and WL50 means waiting list 50, i.e., when you booked the ticket, the number of waitlisted tickets sold at that time was 120, but 50 people had already canceled their ticket. It means your train ticket will be confirmed after 70 passengers (120–50 = 70) who have booked their tickets before you cancel their tickets.
RAC refers to "reservation against cancellation". If a passenger has a RAC ticket, it means the passenger has to be satisfied with the sitting facility, as he will not get a full seat. He will be given a half seat on the side lower berth where he can sit. One can get a confirmed seat if passengers with a confirmed ticket cancel their tickets. RAC tickets were issued neither for trains having only chair cars nor for the tatkal quota.
Regret refers to no further booking allowed for a given date on a particular train due to the high number of waitlisted tickets issued. Passenger cannot book a ticket on a specified date if he gets regret status while checking train seat availability.
The advance-booking period for a train ticket is 120 days.
This means that the train does not have that class. You need to choose another class or try an alternate train that has that class.
If there are no seats available on your preferred train, you can do the following: