Study Guides/Dictionary/Regret in IRCTC
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What does 'Regret' mean in IRCTC Train Booking?

Booking a train ticket during Diwali, Chhath, or summer vacations in India is a massive challenge. When you check ticket availability on the IRCTC app, sometimes instead of 'Available' or 'Waiting List', you see the word REGRET. Let's decode what this means.

Question (Click to Flip)

What does regret mean in train ticket booking?

Answer

In IRCTC, 'Regret' means that the waiting list for that train has reached its maximum limit, and the system will not allow you to book even a waitlisted ticket.

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Key Facts

Meaning: 'Regret' means booking is completely closed.

Reason: The waiting list has reached its maximum permissible limit.

Action: You cannot buy a ticket; you must look for another train or another date.

What does Regret mean in IRCTC?

When the IRCTC portal shows REGRET (or REGRET/WL), it means that the train is completely, 100% full, and the Waiting List has also reached its maximum limit.

  • When this status appears, the railway system completely blocks any further bookings.
  • You cannot even book a waitlisted ticket for that train on that date.

Why does IRCTC use this limit?

The Railways sets a maximum limit on how long a Waiting List can get (for example, WL 400). They do this because if the waiting list gets too long, the chances of the ticket getting confirmed are absolute zero. If they allow people to keep booking, hundreds of people will unnecessarily lose money on cancellation charges.

Therefore, to save passengers from false hope and cancellation fees, IRCTC simply 'Regrets' (apologizes) and stops further booking.

Questions and Answers

What does regret mean in train ticket booking?+

In IRCTC, 'Regret' means that the waiting list for that train has reached its maximum limit, and the system will not allow you to book even a waitlisted ticket.

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