India Train Wait List Procedures
Booking trains in India can be confusing, especially when you book a train that you’re wait listed for.
The way the wait lists work on Indian trains is that you are put in a queue when you book your ticket and a wait list number is assigned to you.
As people cancel their tickets, your original wait list number won’t change, but a subsequent wait list number will be assigned to you.
That number shows where you are in the queue and how close you are to getting a seat on your desired train.
For example, if you book a ticket and it says WL – 16, that means that you are 16th on the wait list for that train.
If two days before the train leaves you are WL – 16 – 2, that means that while you were originally number 16 on the wait list, you are now number 2.
Make sure to check your status (online or at a train station in India) before your train departs to see whether or not you got off the wait list.
If your original wait list number is high and you don’t want to risk not getting a train that day, try booking a second ticket on a later train.
You can cancel it and recoup most of your money if you end up making it onto the train for which you were wait listed.
See the India Train Guide for more information and tips on train travel in India.