Now Reading: 26 trains to get new numbers, classes from 1 January 2027
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26 trains to get new numbers, classes from 1 January 2027
The Story in Brief
From January 1, 2027, 18 Northern Railway services will lose their Superfast status and be reclassified as regular Express trains, while eight Southern Railway Express services will be upgraded to Superfast category. The changes come with revised train numbers across the affected routes. Northern Railway's downgraded trains cover nine pairs connecting Delhi, Bihar, Punjab and Uttarakhand, including the Tanakpur-Delhi Junction and Darbhanga-Jalandhar City services. The reclassification follows a review under Railway Board rules requiring a broad-gauge train to maintain an average speed of at least 55 kmph over its full route to retain Superfast status.
Passengers on the affected Northern trains will no longer pay the Superfast surcharge: Rs 30 on Sleeper Class, Rs 45 on AC 3-Tier, AC 3-Tier Economy, AC 2-Tier and AC Chair Car, and Rs 75 on First AC and Executive Class. The base fare remains unchanged. On Southern Railway, upgraded services include the Chennai Egmore-Rameswaram Express (renumbered 16751 to 20611) and the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Nagercoil Express (16351 to 20615), among others. The revised classifications and numbers apply from 1 January 2027.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The reclassification of 18 Northern Railway Superfast trains to regular Express category means passengers on routes like Delhi, Bihar, Punjab and Uttarakhand will save between Rs 30 and Rs 75 per ticket from January 1, 2027, depending on travel class. The change, driven by average speed falling below the 55 kmph threshold due to congestion and stoppages, removes the Superfast surcharge but not the base fare. On the Southern Railway side, eight Express services on routes including Chennai Egmore, Rameswaram and Nagercoil are being upgraded to Superfast with revised numbers and speed improvements from the same date. The classification shifts affect 26 train services across two zones, but the notification does not specify any review or appeal process for the downgraded Northern trains.
Source: cnbctv18.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
