Tamil Nadu trains - regret/WL 1

Krishnika

I have been checking in periodically with the IR site to see how fast the seats are going on my first planned train trip. Tindivanam to Kumbakonam Jan 13 FC class train 813.
No one seems to be reserving seats on this route except for 2 days, which of course coincide with mine! For several days before and after FC class shows available 0004 (how can this be when a wagon has 20? There is never more than 0004 shown) and in SL class at least 40 available.
Anyway on Jan 13 and 14 FC shows REGRET/WL1, and SL WL8/WL8. The SL list I understand. The FC one I don't. Someone else asked this question, and as far as I can tell didn't get an answer. Can someone explain what this means, and should I try reserving it anyway?

steven_ber

Take the WL8 that sleeper class offers, but do it quick.

Apart from the 17 types of carriages that are sometimes shown in timetables, there are a few more, there are 'combination' carriages - one part FC the rest SL, or one part 1A the rest 2A.

I travelled across the Western Ghats to Quilon in a Metre Gauge FC/SL carriage in 2001, then this year I travelled from Delhi to Guwahati in a Broad Gauge FC/SL carriage; there were only 4 FC berths in each one.

WL8/WL2 would mean that you were the 8th person to be put on the waitlist, though because of cancellations you have already moved up to 2nd on the waitlist.

REGRET/WL1 - REGRET means they are not taking any more reservations, but in this example, there have been enough cancellations to get the applicant onto the waitlist, so the reservation attempt would be accepted, however...

1. The REGRET is normally set at a particular waitlist number, this number is decided by railway officials who have experience of waitlists and the general number of cancellations, if you ever see REGRET in place of a number, it means that you would stand virtually no chance of the waitlist coming down enough to get a confirmed reservation.

2. REGRET/WL1 will not be WL1, more likely WL10 for FC in a FC/SL carriage, I have seen SL waitlists as high as 160, then they go to REGRET/WL1, If the column on the Indian Railways website was 2 positions wider it would probably read REGRET/WL160.

__________________
.
How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions.



Train information.

citybell

The Railways have started eliminating First Class(FC) compartments and replacing them slowly by 3tier and 2-tier airconditioned coaches.In many of the long distance trains, there are no First class non-airconditioned compartments.Ofcourse these FC have lots of space for 4 people but it is sad that railways are replacing them.
So you will find less of FCand sometimes part of them converted into someother class.The railways have been neglecting the maintenance of this FC due to above reason.

Suggest you to take Train No.6853 Cholan express whichwould be better than the train you have chosen.

If you have to choose only night train, then choose6177-A(extension of 6177)Rockfort express which is better train than all above.Even if you don't get confirmed ticket up to Kumbakonam, get it up to Tiruchy or Thanjavur because from these stations the train becomes practically empty till it reaches Kunbakonam.May be this train does not stop at Tindivanam inwhich case you go to next station Villupuram to board the train.

If you don't have heavy baggage, yo can go to Tiruchy and then can take a bus(number of them available every half an hour)to Kumbakonam.

One more point: The date of travel you have chosen is when most people travel to go to their native towns as next day hapens to be an important festival 'Pongal" for people of Tamilnadu.You will find all modes of transportation to all important places going over crowded. So rush to catch the seat that get.

Krishnika

thanks steven ber and citybell, that's exactly the info I needed.