WhatsApp is easily among the most popular apps in India, but did you know it can help you track trains live check your PNR status too Of course, there are other ways to check your PNR status as well as track live train status online - the NTES app by IRCTC can help with the latter, while the former can be checked using the Rail Connect app.

And there's always the option to call 139 to check these details.

But with WhatsApp on your fingertips, on both smartphones and select feature phones, it becomes much easier to check these statuses online.

We explain how the popular app with over 200 million users can help you here.IRCTC has partnered with travel platform MakeMyTrip to provide its users with the PNR status and live train status on your smartphone.

You just need to have the latest version of WhatsApp on your phone and, of course, a working internet connection.How to check PNR status on WhatsAppHere's how to check your Indian Railways PNR status via WhatsApp:Make sure you save MakeMyTrip WhatsApp number (7349389104) in your contacts.To check your PNR status on WhatsApp, search for the MakeMyTrip contact in WhatsApp and start a chat.simply type in PNR followed by your PNR number in the message box.

If the PNR number is 1234567890, make sure you send the message as PNR 1234567890Once you hit enter, the company will access the PNR details from IRCTC servers, and will be able to tell you if the seat has been reserved and share the coach details or the current waitlist status.How to check live train status on WhatsAppHere's how to check Indian Railways live train status via WhatsAppOnce again, make sure you have MakeMyTrip WhatsApp number (7349389104) saved in your contacts.Open the MakeMyTrip chat and just enter the train number in the message box.

For example, to check status of train RJPB RAJDHANI (12309), simply type 12309 without any suffix or prefix.After you hit send, you will be provided all the details of the train status, such as whether it has started, departure station and time, expected arrival time, etc.Both these services require MakeMyTrip to fetch the data (of the train or your PNR) from the IRCTC servers so you may face a slight delay in receiving a reply.

Make sure your WhatsApp notifications are on so that you do not miss the status even in cases there is a delay in getting the data for your request.

Moreover, these services are for all Indian Railways travellers, and you need not have booked train tickets from MakeMyTrip to use this service.

And, of course, checking your PNR status and live train status on WhatsApp is free.