What do Confirmed, RAC, and Waitlist status mean?

A Confirmed status means the railway has allotted you a specific berth with a coach and berth number and you are guaranteed to travel. RAC or Reservation Against Cancellation means your ticket is partially confirmed you will get a seat to sit but the berth may be shared, and you can board the train. Waitlist means your ticket is not yet confirmed and depends on cancellations from other passengers. Higher waitlist numbers like WL 30 or above rarely confirm. If a waitlisted ticket does not confirm before the final chart preparation, it is automatically cancelled and the refund is processed as per IRCTC rules.