Has it ever happened that you booked a train ticket online only to end up on the waiting list? If yes, did you know that there are different kinds of waiting lists in IRCTC? Yes, there are different waiting lists and the RQWL is right at the bottom of the priority list.
RQWL stands for Request Waiting List. But what does RQWL mean? Let's see what it is and what its implications are.
A waiting list is a list of passengers who have paid for a train ticket but have to have their seats/berths confirmed. This happens when all the seats on a train have been booked, and more people have paid for their tickets.
This waiting list is a priority list that shows who booked the tickets first. The relevance of the waiting list is that, when someone with a confirmed ticket cancels their ticket, the first ticket in the waiting list will be pushed ahead and get their ticket confirmed.
But what are your chances of getting the ticket confirmed? Well, that is why you need to understand that there are different types of waiting lists.
General Waiting List (GNWL)
Pooled Quota Waiting List (PQWL)
Remote Location Waiting List (RLWL)
Tatkal Quota Waiting List (TQWL)
Road Side Station Waiting List (RSWL)
Request Waiting List (RQWL)
Among these, the RQWL or the Request Waiting List has the least priority due to various reasons. You will see those reasons later here.
Here is what the RQWL in your ticket means:
The Request Waiting List means that you have booked a ticket from an intermediate station to another intermediate station of a train.
It has the least priority among the waiting lists.
It also means that these intermediate stations do not come under any kind of quotas for seats.
Getting the ticket confirmed happens only if passengers on the general waiting list have moved forward.
In addition, RQWL also implies that you cannot travel with this ticket.
RQWL may appear only for early reservations and not for current reservations. For the latter, there is no waiting list.
If you see RLWL in your train ticket, it means Remote Location Waiting List.
It is a list of passengers who have booked tickets from certain stations that are designated remote locations.
It comes under a quota system of a specific number of seats allotted to these areas.
This is to give a fair chance to those from these remote areas to get a seat on trains.
Otherwise, passengers from the major stations could monopolise.
Since the RLWL comes under the quota system, the cancellation of tickets in these areas pushes the waiting list forward. Thus the chances of getting the tickets confirmed in this list are better. However, RQWL does not come under any quota system and has fewer chances of ticket confirmation.
While RQWL and RLWL may be connected to intermediate stations, RLWL gets precedence over RQWL due to quota.
When you go to the IRCTC login page to search for train seat availability, you can see that certain trains show WL written against ticket availability. It means that the seats are already booked and further bookings will go into a waiting list.
It is common to book tickets even if there is a waiting list. Most often, a waiting list of less than 100 has chances of confirmed tickets later on, especially during early booking. During booking, you may see the RQWL displayed, depending on your choice of station.
You are free to try your luck at this point and book the ticket. The booking process is the same as any other ticket booking. At the same time, chances are less with this type of ticket especially if the general waiting list is long.
Once you booked, you may see the RQWL status in your ticket. You can regularly check your PNR status to see if your ticket has moved up the list or not.
In case the ticket is not confirmed even after the IRCTC chart preparation, the online tickets will be automatically cancelled. Such auto cancellation when the ticket is on the waiting list will get you a full refund without any of the IRCTC cancellation charges.
As you can see, RQWL is no fancy waiting list that has a fair chance of getting you a confirmed ticket. If you find this waiting list before you book the ticket, it is better to opt-out. In case you are in need of a train ticket, then go ahead and book the tickets. However, it would be a better idea to have a backup and book an alternative for your journey. You can always book a Tatkal ticket or a Tatkal Premium ticket which will be costlier.
The General Waiting List is for those tickets that are booked from the origin station of the train and usually for long-distance trains. RQWL is for tickets booked from intermediate stations.
No, you cannot travel with an RQWL ticket. The tickets on this list will be cancelled automatically when the chart is prepared four hours before the scheduled time. Thus it will be rendered invalid.
Tickets on the GNWL get confirmed first.
RAC tickets get confirmed before any of the waiting lists. You can travel with a RAC ticket but not one on a waiting list.
Early booking is the best way to avoid getting on to RQWL or any other waiting list.