What are different waiting list terms used in IRCTC?

Question

This may seem a duplicate question, but I have searched for different questions on Stack and Google, but none of the sources have been easy to understand.

I need to know what the various terminologies used in IRCTC wait list are, and how can they be used very effectively for the common public. I have come across things like GNWL/WL, WL, CNF, Pooled Quota, etc.

Answer 1

The different types of waiting lists are:

1. GNWL: General Waiting List
2. RLWL: Remote Location Waiting List
3. PQWL: A Pooled Quota Waiting List
4. RLGN: Remote Location General Waiting List
5. RSWL: Roadside Station Waiting List
6. RQWL: Request Waiting List
7. CKWL or Tatkal waiting list

An article in trainman.in website explains about these waiting lists as follows :

• GNWL: General Waiting List (GNWL) waitlisted tickets are issued when the passenger begins his/her journey at the originating station of a route or stations close to the originating station. This is most common type of waiting list and has got the highest chances of confirmation.
• RLWL: Remote Location Waiting List (RLWL) means ticket is issued for intermediate stations (between the originating and terminating stations) because usually these are the most important towns or cities on that particular route. This type of tickets will be given a separate priority and confirmations will depend on the cancellations of a destination confirmed ticket. Remote location stations prepare there own chart 2-3 hours before the actual departure of train. For this type of ticket there are less chances of confirmation.
• PQWL: A Pooled Quota Waiting List (PQWL) is shared by several small stations. Pooled Quotas normally operate only from the originating station of a route, and there is only one Pooled Quota for the entire run. The Pooled Quota is generally allotted for passengers travelling from the originating station to a station short of the terminating station, or from an intermediate station to the terminating station, or between two intermediate stations.
• RLGN: Remote Location General Waiting List (RLGN) is issued when a user books a ticket where WL quota is RLWL. This means after ticket booking RLWL gets named as RLGN.
• RSWL: Roadside Station Waiting List (RSWL) is allotted when berths or seats are booked by the originating station for journeys up to the road-side station and distance restrictions may not apply. This waiting list has also very less chances of confirmation.
• RQWL: If a ticket is to be booked from an intermediate station to another intermediate station, and if it is not covered by the general quota or by the remote location quotas or pooled quota, the request for the ticket may go into a Request Waiting List (RQWL).
• CKWL or Tatkal waiting list: For tatkal tickets, the waiting list issued is CKWL. If tatkal ticket goes up, it directly gets confirmed and doesn’t go through RAC status unlike GNWL. During chart preparation, general waiting list (GNWL) is preferred over tatkal waiting list (CKWL) therefore tatkal waitlisted tickets are less likely to get confirmed.

Thanks to @DumbCoder for the information.

Update:

Here is the latest legend data form the official IRCTC website,