Railways Update: 18 trains lose their superfast status, passengers to pay less fare from January 1. Details here
Indian Railways will reclassify 18 superfast services as regular express trains from 1 January 2027. Passengers will pay lower fares but must check revised train numbers before booking.
- Nov 4, 2026,
- Updated Nov 4, 2026 2:21 PM IST
The railways will withdraw the superfast status of 18 train services from 1 January 2027 and operate them as regular express trains, Aajtak reported. The affected services include the Purnagiri Jan Shatabdi, Sapt Kranti and Shramjeevi Express. Their train numbers will also change.
Passengers will no longer have to pay the superfast surcharge on these trains, reducing fares by up to ₹75 depending on the travel class. The changes will particularly affect passengers travelling on routes connecting Delhi, Bihar, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
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Why was the superfast status abolished?
Under Railway Board rules, a train must maintain an average speed of at least 55 kmph to qualify as a superfast service. The average is calculated by dividing the total distance covered by the total journey time, with speeds in both directions taken into account. A review by the Railways found that the average speeds of these services were below the prescribed level. It was therefore decided to remove them from the superfast category and operate them as regular express trains.
Superfast Train Fares to Drop
Passengers on superfast trains currently pay a surcharge in addition to the basic ticket fare. Once these trains are reclassified, the surcharge will no longer apply. The fare reduction will be ₹30 in sleeper class, ₹45 in third AC, third AC economy, second AC and AC chair car, and ₹75 in first AC and executive class. This means that passengers travelling on these trains will have to pay less when booking tickets than before.
How Railways Decides a Train’s Superfast Status
The Railways reviews the punctuality and average speeds of trains every year or when a new timetable is introduced. Based on this assessment, it decides which trains will retain superfast status and which will be placed in the regular express category.
According to officials, a train's speed may be affected by additional stops, increased traffic on its route or other operational factors. Such factors can cause persistent delays and prevent a train from meeting the average-speed requirement for superfast status.
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18 Trains to Get New Numbers
The affected services, along with their old and new train numbers, are as follows:
1. Tanakpur–Delhi Junction: old number 12035; new number 15317.
2. Delhi Junction–Tanakpur: old number 12036; new number 15318.
3. Dehradun–Kathgodam: old number 12091; new number 15315.
4. Kathgodam–Dehradun: old number 12092; new number 15316.
5. Moradabad–Ramnagar: old number 25013; new number 15313.
6. Ramnagar–Moradabad: old number 25014; new number 15314.
7. Moradabad–Ramnagar: old number 25035; new number 15335.
8. Ramnagar–Moradabad: old number 25036; new number 15336.
9. Islampur–New Delhi: old number 20801; new number 18633.
10. New Delhi–Islampur: old number 20802; new number 18634.
11. Darbhanga–Jalandhar City: old number 22551; new number 15541.
12. Jalandhar City–Darbhanga: old number 22552; new number 15542.
13. Patliputra–Chandigarh: old number 22355; new number 13255.
14. Chandigarh–Patliputra: old number 22356; new number 13256.
15. Muzaffarpur–Anand Vihar Terminal: old number 12557; new number 15577.
16. Anand Vihar Terminal–Muzaffarpur: old number 12558; new number 15578.
17. Rajgir–New Delhi: old number 12391; new number 13291.
18. New Delhi–Rajgir: old number 12392; new number 13292.
Passengers using services on routes such as Tanakpur–Delhi, Dehradun–Kathgodam, Muzaffarpur–Anand Vihar and Rajgir–New Delhi should check the revised train numbers while booking tickets for journeys from 1 January 2027, as searching with the old numbers could cause difficulty in finding the trains or planning a journey.
The reclassification will bring new numbers for all 18 services while removing the superfast surcharge from their fares.
The railways will withdraw the superfast status of 18 train services from 1 January 2027 and operate them as regular express trains, Aajtak reported. The affected services include the Purnagiri Jan Shatabdi, Sapt Kranti and Shramjeevi Express. Their train numbers will also change.
Passengers will no longer have to pay the superfast surcharge on these trains, reducing fares by up to ₹75 depending on the travel class. The changes will particularly affect passengers travelling on routes connecting Delhi, Bihar, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
MUST READ: Diwali-Chhath travel: Railways suspend platform tickets at 6 Delhi stations; check new rules
Why was the superfast status abolished?
Under Railway Board rules, a train must maintain an average speed of at least 55 kmph to qualify as a superfast service. The average is calculated by dividing the total distance covered by the total journey time, with speeds in both directions taken into account. A review by the Railways found that the average speeds of these services were below the prescribed level. It was therefore decided to remove them from the superfast category and operate them as regular express trains.
Superfast Train Fares to Drop
Passengers on superfast trains currently pay a surcharge in addition to the basic ticket fare. Once these trains are reclassified, the surcharge will no longer apply. The fare reduction will be ₹30 in sleeper class, ₹45 in third AC, third AC economy, second AC and AC chair car, and ₹75 in first AC and executive class. This means that passengers travelling on these trains will have to pay less when booking tickets than before.
How Railways Decides a Train’s Superfast Status
The Railways reviews the punctuality and average speeds of trains every year or when a new timetable is introduced. Based on this assessment, it decides which trains will retain superfast status and which will be placed in the regular express category.
According to officials, a train's speed may be affected by additional stops, increased traffic on its route or other operational factors. Such factors can cause persistent delays and prevent a train from meeting the average-speed requirement for superfast status.
DON'T MISS: India’s first bullet train is almost here with 280 kmph speed, wi-fi & 557 seats. What to expect
18 Trains to Get New Numbers
The affected services, along with their old and new train numbers, are as follows:
1. Tanakpur–Delhi Junction: old number 12035; new number 15317.
2. Delhi Junction–Tanakpur: old number 12036; new number 15318.
3. Dehradun–Kathgodam: old number 12091; new number 15315.
4. Kathgodam–Dehradun: old number 12092; new number 15316.
5. Moradabad–Ramnagar: old number 25013; new number 15313.
6. Ramnagar–Moradabad: old number 25014; new number 15314.
7. Moradabad–Ramnagar: old number 25035; new number 15335.
8. Ramnagar–Moradabad: old number 25036; new number 15336.
9. Islampur–New Delhi: old number 20801; new number 18633.
10. New Delhi–Islampur: old number 20802; new number 18634.
11. Darbhanga–Jalandhar City: old number 22551; new number 15541.
12. Jalandhar City–Darbhanga: old number 22552; new number 15542.
13. Patliputra–Chandigarh: old number 22355; new number 13255.
14. Chandigarh–Patliputra: old number 22356; new number 13256.
15. Muzaffarpur–Anand Vihar Terminal: old number 12557; new number 15577.
16. Anand Vihar Terminal–Muzaffarpur: old number 12558; new number 15578.
17. Rajgir–New Delhi: old number 12391; new number 13291.
18. New Delhi–Rajgir: old number 12392; new number 13292.
Passengers using services on routes such as Tanakpur–Delhi, Dehradun–Kathgodam, Muzaffarpur–Anand Vihar and Rajgir–New Delhi should check the revised train numbers while booking tickets for journeys from 1 January 2027, as searching with the old numbers could cause difficulty in finding the trains or planning a journey.
The reclassification will bring new numbers for all 18 services while removing the superfast surcharge from their fares.