Travelling is something that we all love more or less. Among the planes, trains and buses, travelling by train are the most popular. When we book a train reservation ticket for the first time and travel somewhere, we got worried about various new words like CNF, RAC, W/L etc. Today in this article, I am going to tell you the meaning of CNF in Train or IRCTC Railway Ticket.
When we book a Train Ticket we get either CNF or W/L status. The meaning of CNF in Train or IRCTC Railway Ticket is Confirmed Seat. CNF is the short form of the word ‘Confirmed’. If your train ticket status is CNF then it is meaning is you have got a confirmed ticket. You don’t have to worry and you can travel on your reservation date.
When there are very few seats, IRCTC is not able to give us the right berth. At that time we get CNF status. It means our Train Ticket is confirmed but the exact berth number is not mentioned there. You will get the berth number after the final chart preparation. It happens because the IRCTC algorithm can’t decide which is the best berth for young people, women or senior citizens. After the final chart preparation, IRCTC will give the perfect berth according to their age or situation.
Not only CNF, W/L or RAC, but there are also many terms that may confuse you while booking a train ticket through IRCTC. Don’t worry, read this article till the end, you will get a lot of answers.
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Train Ticket Booking
There are many websites or Train Ticket booking apps which you can use to book your train ticket. Any user can book Train Ticket from IRCTC or its partnered sites. The booking window will open 120 days before the reservation date. The more early you book your Train Ticket the more chances are you will get a CNF or Confirmed Train Ticket.
Whenever I need to book Train Tickets I prefer to use the IRCTC App. I feel this is the best platform to book Railway Tickets. But yes, you can’t book local train tickets through IRCTC. In this case, you have to use UTS App. Apart from IRCTC, there are a few other apps that you can use to book your reservation train tickets such as Paytm, Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, Amazon etc.
Sometimes while booking Train Tickets through third-party apps we get discounts or cashback. This is good. But you have to check whether the app you are using is genuine or not. Also, keep in mind that if you book Train Tickets early then the chances are getting the status of CNF in Train Ticket instead of W/L or RAC. So, let me tell you the procedure to book Train Tickets.
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How To Book Train Tickets Through IRCTC
- First of all, download the IRCTC App or open their website.
- Log in using your 4-digit login PIN, Captcha or OTP.
- Tap on the ‘Train’ option and select the ‘Book Ticket’ option.
- Select From Station and To Station and Departure Date.
- Select the Train for which you want to book a Ticket.
- Now tap on the Ticket type (EC, CC, SL, 3A, 2A and 1A).
- Check the Train Ticket Fare or price and then select the ‘Passenger Details’ option.
- Tap on ‘Add New’, ‘Add Infant’ or ‘Add Existing’ and select passenger details.
- Make payments through Credit/Debit Cards, Net Banking, Wallets, Others or BHIM UPI.
- Choose Yes if you want travel insurance or choose No.
- Pro Tip- If you are booking train tickets for multiple people choose the ‘Book if all berths are allocated in the same coach’ option in the ‘Reservation Choice’ section. Also, you can choose the ‘Consider for Auto Upgradation’ and ‘Book only if confirms berths are allowed’ options in the ‘Other Preferences’ section.
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What is the meaning of CNF in Train Tickets?
The meaning of CNF in Train Ticket is Confirmed Seat. If your reservation ticket status is CNF then it means you can travel on your reservation date without any problem. Sometimes you won’t get the berth number but get CNF in Train Ticket status. The final berth number will be provided to you after preparing the final chart. The IRCTC department will send you an SMS and will let you know your coach number and berth number.
You can check your booked ticket and previously completed Train Ticket Booking history in your IRCTC App My Booking section. Any time you can download your ticket, check the PNR number, berth number, berth type (NC or WS), ticket status, coach, the total amount paid and everything.
The meaning of NC and WS in IRCTC berth type is No Choice and Window Side. Also, keep in mind that the meaning of TQ is Tatkal Quota. And the meaning of W/L is Waiting List and RAC meaning is Reservation Against Cancellation.
If you got RAC in your Train Ticket then the meaning of it is your travel is guaranteed and you can travel but two passengers will share the same berth (lower berth in most cases). If any confirmed berth user won’t travel then the full berth is allotted to the RAC ticket holder passenger.
How To Check CNF Probability in IRCTC?
Many times we have to plan our trip just a few days before the journey date. In this case, booking a train ticket and getting a Confirmed Seat or CNF in Train Ticket is quite impossible. Thankfully we can book W/L tickets also. If some passenger cancels their ticket then our ticket will get confirmed. What if we can check the probability or chances of getting CNF in IRCTC? Well, there is an official way from IRCTC that we can use from our Smartphone or Laptop and check CNF probability in IRCTC.
- First of all, open the official IRCTC website.
- Create an account or log in with your 4-digit PIN, Captcha and OTP.
- Click on Train and select the PNR Enquiry option.
- Enter PNR Number and check the status.
- Scroll down and tap on the ‘Click here to get confirmation chance’ option.
- On the next screen, you can check the CNF Probability in IRCTC.
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Some Terms in Train Ticket Booking
| Terms | Full Form |
|---|---|
| IRCTC | Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation |
| PNR | Passenger Name Record |
| CNF | Confirmed Seat |
| W/L | Wait Listed |
| RAC | Reservation Against Cancellation |
| NC | No Choice |
| WS | Window Side |
| CC | AC Chair Car |
| EC | Executive Chair Car |
| SL | Sleeper Class |
| GN | General |
| GNWL | General Waiting List |
| PQWL | Pooled Quota Waiting List |
| RSWL | Road Side Waiting List |
| RLWL | Remote Location Waiting List |
| TQWL | Tatkal Waitlisted Tickets |
| TDR | Ticket Deposit Receipt |
FAQs: IRCTC Train Ticket Booking
Well, the cancellation is totally up to you. If you cancel your booked train ticket within 48 hours and up to 12 hours before the scheduled departure of the booked train then you will get a refund. But you will get paid excluding the 25% cancellation charges.
If your ticket status is still showing W/L or Wait Listed after final chart preparation then the ticket will cancel automatically and the money will be sent back to your original payment method.
If you have booked Train Tickets for multiple persons but now you have changed your plan and want to cancel one user ticket then you can do this through the IRCTC e-ticketing website. Partial cancellation is only allowed through the IRCTC official website.
Your refund will be sent back to your original payment method within 24 hours of your travel date. Sometimes it may take up to 7-10 working days for the refund to reflect in your bank account.
