Understanding your ticket and WL number of PNR status
On Railway ticket, there are two numbers which tell the position at which you joined the waitlist and current position.
Example:
You have booked a Railway Ticket to some destination.
At...
more... the end of the Booking Ticket, you get a ticket with Position as WL5/WL2.
In this example you joined the waitlist at position 5 (WL5), but by the time you actually bought the ticket online you moved to waitlist position 2 (WL2) (due either to a cancellation or to someone not making a final booking).
The first number (WL5) will always stay the same � it indicates position you joined the queue.
The second number (WL2) will decrease until you get a ticket.
Your railway reservation could change / upgrade like:
WL 5/WL 2 (Starting Position . Waitlist 2)
WL 5/WL 1 (Waitlist 1)
WL 5/RAC 3 (Reservation Against Cancellation 3)
WL 5/RAC 1 (Reservation Against Cancellation 1)
WL 5/CNF (Seat Confirmed)
AB1 (Seat Number Confirmed)
WL 5/WL 2 = Waitlist ticket : you cannot board the train.
WL 5/RAC 3 = RAC ticket : you are allowed to board the train, but you may end up on a seat instead of a berth.
WL 5/CNF = Confirmed ticket : you can board the train and you have a berth to yourself.