New Delhi: There is welcome news for railway passengers. Indian Railways has decided to reclassify several trains—including the Purnagiri Jan Shatabdi Express, Saptakranti Express, and Shramjeevi Express—from the ‘Superfast’ category to ‘General Express’ trains. Consequently, the train numbers will be updated. This new arrangement will come into effect on January 1st. Once removed from the ‘Superfast’ category, passengers will no longer be required to pay the ‘Superfast surcharge,’ which will result in lower ticket fares.
Relief from the ‘Superfast’ Surcharge
According to established railway standards, trains that maintain an average speed of 55 km/h are granted ‘Superfast’ status. The train numbers for these services typically begin with the digits ’12’ or ‘2’. Because they fall under the ‘Superfast’ category, passengers are charged an additional surcharge on top of their ticket fare.
Under the current system, the ‘Superfast’ surcharge is ₹30 for Sleeper Class; ₹45 for AC Chair Car, 3rd AC, 3rd AC Economy, and 2nd AC; and ₹75 for 1st AC and Executive Class.
Railway officials state that the punctuality and operational performance of trains are reviewed annually or whenever a new timetable is introduced. Factors such as an increase in the number of scheduled stops, higher traffic congestion on specific routes, or other operational constraints can often cause trains to consistently run behind their scheduled arrival times. In such cases, their classification is adjusted.
Changes to Train Numbers
The following is the list of trains that are being reclassified by the Railways from the ‘Superfast’ category to ‘General Express’. Train Name | Old Number | New Number
Tanakpur–Old Delhi Purnagiri Jan Shatabdi | 12035 | 15317
Old Delhi–Tanakpur Purnagiri Jan Shatabdi | 12036 | 15318
Dehradun–Kathgodam Naini Jan Shatabdi | 12091 | 15315
Kathgodam–Dehradun Naini Jan Shatabdi | 12092 | 15316
Moradabad–Ramnagar Corbett Park Link Express | 25013 | 15313
Ramnagar–Moradabad Corbett Park Link Express | 25014 | 15314
Moradabad–Ramnagar Link Express | 25035 | 15335
Ramnagar–Moradabad Link Express | 25036 | 15336
Islampur–New Delhi Magadh Express | 20801 | 18633
New Delhi–Islampur Magadh Express | 20802 | 18634
Darbhanga–Jalandhar City Antyodaya Express | 22551 | 15541
Jalandhar City–Darbhanga Antyodaya Express | 22552 | 15542
Patliputra–Chandigarh Superfast Express | 22355 | 13255
Chandigarh–Patliputra Superfast Express | 22356 | 13256
Muzaffarpur–Anand Vihar Saptakranti Express | 12557 | 15577
Anand Vihar–Muzaffarpur Saptakranti Express | 12558 | 15578
Rajgir–New Delhi Shramjeevi Express | 12391 | 13291
New Delhi–Rajgir Shramjeevi Express | 12392 | 13292
How will passengers benefit?
Following the change in classification from ‘Superfast’ to ‘Express’ (ordinary), passengers will be relieved from the additional ‘superfast surcharge’ previously applied to their tickets. This will reduce expenses, especially for passengers traveling long distances. However, when planning their journeys from January 1st onwards, passengers will need to take note of the new train numbers. Before booking tickets or embarking on a journey, be sure to verify train details via the official railway website or the NTES (National Train Enquiry System).
