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Train Confirm Seat Hacks: Booked a train ticket, but PNR status still shows WL or RAC? So there is no need to take tension. Lakhs of people in the country go through this situation every day. If you have correct information, you can save your ticket and also travel comfortably. In this article, we will tell you what to do if your train ticket is not confirmed, what are your options and how you can try to get a seat till the last moment.

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Why is train ticket not confirmed?

• More booking in trains (High Demand Routes)
• seats run out quickly
• Crowd during festive season or holidays
• waiting list increases

What to do if the ticket is not confirmed?

1. First of all, check which 'type' is your ticket?

Your next step if the ticket is not confirmed depends on whether you have booked the ticket from the counter or online through the IRCTC app or website. If there is an Online Waiting Ticket and it remains waiting till the chart is prepared, then it gets canceled automatically. Its money is returned to your bank account in 3 to 5 days. On this ticket you cannot travel in the reserved coach of the train (Sleeper, 3AC, 2AC). If you have taken a waiting ticket from the railway station counter, it does not get canceled even after the chart is prepared. You can travel by train with this ticket. Usually you can manage your seat in sleeper class or by talking to TTE.

2. Use Tatkal and Premium Tatkal

If your regular ticket is cancelled, your best chance to get a confirmed ticket is through the Tatkal quota, just a day before the journey. Remember the timing for this. Tatkal booking opens at 10:00 am for AC classes (3AC, 2AC, 1AC) and at 11:00 am for non-AC classes (Sleeper, Second Sitting). Log in 5 minutes before the booking starts, save your master list in advance and use UPI or IRCTC wallet for payment, so that the ticket gets booked in seconds. If you run out of Tatkal tickets, check Premium Tatkal. There is dynamic pricing (as tickets become less, the price will increase), but the chances of getting a confirmed ticket are quite high.

3. Take advantage of IRCTC's VIKALP Scheme

Many people ignore the VIKALP option while booking tickets, which is a big mistake. This is a scheme of the Railways under which if the ticket in your chosen train is not confirmed, then the Railways gives you a vacant seat in other alternative trains running on the same route. You are not charged any extra for this, even if you get a seat in a premium train (like Rajdhani or Shatabdi). To activate it, you can go to 'Booked Ticket History' while booking the ticket or even after the ticket is booked and select the option scheme. In this you can choose maximum 7 trains.

4. Check Current Refund or Current Booking

When the first chart is prepared before the departure of the train, the Railways opens the remaining vacant seats for current booking. After the chart is generated, check the 'Current Booking' status by going to the IRCTC app or station counter. If there are seats left vacant in the train, which often happens due to last minute cancellations, you can get a confirmed ticket at a discount of 10% to 20% on current booking. This option remains open till 30 minutes before the departure of the train.

5. View Railway Chart Online

Gone are the days of running after TTE. Railways has made the chart completely online. Go to the 'Charts/Vacancy' section on the IRCTC app or website. Enter your train number and boarding station. This tool will show you live which coach, which seat, from which station to which station is vacant. If you see a vacant seat, you can directly meet the TTE in the train and get it allotted in your name.

Backup plan: When there is no alternative to train

If all these railway hacks fail, then instead of canceling your journey, you can try some other options.

IRCTC i-Bus or State Transport: IRCTC now also does bus booking. You can book connecting buses directly from their app.

Flight: If the journey is very important and long, sometimes the prices of some flights drop at the last minute. Check 'Last Minute Deals' on Ixigo or MakeMyTrip.

Train Part-Booking (Connecting Trains): If you can't get a direct ticket from station A to B, buy a ticket to a major junction in between and take another train or bus from there.