If you are travelling in a group and booked all passengers on one PNR, you may encounter a partially confirmed status — where some passengers are confirmed (CNF) while others are on RAC or WL. Here is everything you need to know.
How Partial Confirmation Happens
When you book 3 or more passengers together and only some berths are available in confirmed quota, IRCTC allocates confirmed berths to the first few passengers in the booking and places the remaining passengers on RAC or WL. This results in a single PNR with mixed statuses.
Example of a Partially Confirmed PNR
| Passenger | Status |
|---|---|
| Passenger 1 | CNF / S4 / 32 |
| Passenger 2 | CNF / S4 / 33 |
| Passenger 3 | RAC 3 |
| Passenger 4 | WL 2 |
Who Can Travel?
- CNF passengers: Fully confirmed, board with valid ID and ticket. No issues.
- RAC passengers: Can board, will share a side berth. May get upgraded to a full berth by TTE.
- WL passengers: If still WL after chart preparation, they cannot board and receive an automatic refund.
What to Do With a Partially Confirmed Booking
Option 1: Wait and Monitor
Watch the WL/RAC passengers' statuses daily. If they confirm before chart time, everyone travels together. Use PNR Alert to get a WhatsApp notification the moment status changes.
Option 2: Book a Separate Ticket for WL Passengers
If travel is time-sensitive, book an additional confirmed or Tatkal ticket for the WL passengers on the same or alternate train. You can cancel the WL portion of the original ticket if the new booking confirms.
Option 3: Cancel the Entire PNR
If you want the group to travel together and there is no chance of WL confirming, cancel the entire PNR and rebook on a different train or date where all passengers get confirmed status.
Track all passenger statuses under one PNR at pnralert.in/pnr-status.