18 Superfast Trains to Lose Status From Jan 1, 2027; Fares to Drop
In a significant passenger-friendly decision affecting busy northern and eastern rail corridors, Indian Railways has announced that 18 prominent superfast trains will lose their "Superfast" tag and transition into regular Mail/Express services starting January 1, 2027. Accompanying this reclassification, the national transporter is also assigning brand-new five-digit train numbers to all nine train pairs—dropping the traditional '12', '20', '22', or '25' prefixes reserved for superfast services. Most importantly for everyday commuters and long-distance travelers across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Punjab, and Uttarakhand, removing the superfast designation eliminates the mandatory superfast surcharge from ticket prices, reducing passenger fares by ₹30 to ₹75 per ticket depending on the class of travel.
Reported from Prayagraj on Thursday, November 12, 2026, the operational overhaul impacts several high-patronage daily and weekly services—including the Purnagiri Jan Shatabdi Express, Sapt Kranti Express, Shramjeevi Express, and Magadh Express. Travelers planning post-New Year journeys between hubs such as New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Patna, Muzaffarpur, Rajgir, Darbhanga, Moradabad, Dehradun, Kathgodam, Tanakpur, Chandigarh, and Jalandhar City will need to use the revised train numbers when booking tickets via IRCTC or reservation counters.
Why Indian Railways Removed the Superfast Status After Annual Speed Review
Under established Railway Board operating norms, a train qualifies for the "Superfast" category—and the accompanying surcharge—only if its average commercial speed across both its upward and downward journeys equals or exceeds 55 kilometers per hour on broad-gauge tracks (calculated by dividing total route distance by total scheduled travel time, including intermediate halts).
Every year ahead of timetable revisions, railway zones conduct comprehensive punctuality and speed audits. During the latest operational evaluation, officials observed that persistent track congestion, additional commercial stoppages introduced for passenger convenience, and operational bottlenecks prevented these 18 trains from consistently maintaining the mandatory 55 kmph average speed benchmark. Rather than continuing to levy a premium superfast surcharge on services operating at regular express speeds, the Railway Board approved reclassifying all 18 trains into standard Mail/Express services.
Ticket Fares Drop by Up to ₹75: Class-Wise Savings Breakdown
Because passengers traveling on superfast trains pay an extra superfast surcharge over and above the base Mail/Express fare, downgrading these 18 trains directly lowers out-of-pocket ticket costs. Once the new classification takes effect in January 2027, passengers booking tickets on these routes will save:
Sleeper Class (SL): ₹30 reduction per ticket
AC 3 Tier (3A), AC 3 Economy (3E), AC 2 Tier (2A), and AC Chair Car (CC): ₹45 reduction per ticket
AC First Class (1A) and Executive Class (EC): ₹75 reduction per ticket
(Note: Second Sitting / General unreserved tickets on superfast trains also shed their ₹15 superfast surcharge upon conversion to regular express status.)
Complete List: Old vs. New Numbers for All 18 Trains From January 2027
To avoid confusion at station platforms or while searching on the IRCTC portal for journeys in January 2027, passengers should carefully note the old and revised train numbers across all nine pairs:
| Train Route / Service | Old Number | New Number |
|---|---|---|
| Tanakpur – Delhi Junction (Purnagiri Jan Shatabdi) | 12035 | 15317 |
| Delhi Junction – Tanakpur (Purnagiri Jan Shatabdi) | 12036 | 15318 |
| Dehradun – Kathgodam Express | 12091 | 15315 |
| Kathgodam – Dehradun Express | 12092 | 15316 |
| Moradabad – Ramnagar Express | 25013 | 15313 |
| Ramnagar – Moradabad Express | 25014 | 15314 |
| Moradabad – Ramnagar Express | 25035 | 15335 |
| Ramnagar – Moradabad Express | 25036 | 15336 |
| Islampur – New Delhi (Magadh Express) | 20801 | 18633 |
