Good news for railway passengers: Fares reduced in 17 trains from January 1, travel becomes cheaper

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Train travel is considered to be the most convenient and economical means for crores of middle class families and daily travelers of the country. On the occasion of New Year, Indian Railways has given a big relief to lakhs of passengers and has formally announced to reduce the fares of many major trains from January 1. According to the new guidelines issued by the Railway Board, about 17 to 18 popular superfast trains running on the busiest railway routes of the country have been reclassified. These trains will now be removed from the category of ‘Superfast’ and will be operated as ‘Normal Mail/Express’ trains. This administrative decision will have a direct and positive impact on the pockets of passengers, because as soon as the Superfast tag is removed, the additional surcharge on tickets will be completely eliminated. This is no less than a double happiness for the common travelers traveling during festivals and winter holidays.

Often this question arises in the minds of the general public as to why the Railways is suddenly changing the category of these trains. According to the operating rules of the Railways, any broad gauge train is given the status of Superfast only when its average speed in both the directions (up and down) is recorded to be at least 55 kilometers per hour or more. The Railway Administration conducts a detailed review of the punctuality and actual running speed of all trains while implementing the new time table every year. The investigation found that due to the addition of new stoppages, heavy traffic congestion, track maintenance and signaling works on many of the busiest routes, the average speed of these trains had fallen well below the norm of 55 km/hr and were continuously running late. Under the rules, when a train is unable to provide superfast speed, it is considered unfair to charge superfast charges from the passengers, due to which the Railways took a fair decision to change its status to normal express.

While traveling in Superfast trains, Railways charge passengers a mandatory ‘Superfast Surcharge’ in addition to the basic fare. After these trains are converted into normal express from January 1, this entire charge will be removed, which will lead to direct savings per ticket in different classes:

  • Second Sitting/General Class: Flat discount of ₹15.

  • Sleeper Class: Saving of ₹30 per passenger.

  • Third AC (3A), AC Chaircar (CC) and 3E: Low fare of ₹45 per passenger.

  • Second AC (2A): Saving of ₹45 per passenger.

  • First AC (1A) and Executive Class (EC): Big discount of up to ₹75 on tickets.

If a family is traveling with 4 members in sleeper or third AC, there will be a direct saving of ₹120 to ₹180 on a one-way journey. This savings will run into hundreds of rupees on long-distance round-trips, which will provide relief to the holiday budget.

As per railway classification rules, superfast trains are numbered starting with 12 or 2, while normal express trains are numbered after 1 or 2 in the normal series (e.g. 15, 13 or 18). Under this change, which will be effective from January 1, new train numbers are being allotted without major changes in the routes and timings of these trains:

  1. Saptakranti Express (Muzaffarpur-Anand Vihar Terminal): The old number will be 12557/12558 and now the new number will be 15577/15578.

  2. Shramjeevi Express (Rajgir-New Delhi): The old number 12391/12392 will now be changed to 13291/13292.

  3. Magadh Express (Islampur-New Delhi): The old number 20801/20802 will now be changed to 18633/18634.

  4. Purnagiri Janshatabdi Express (Tanakpur-Delhi Junction): The old number 12035/12036 is being changed to 15317/15318.

  5. Naini Janshatabdi Express (Dehradun-Kathgodam): Old number 12091/12092 will now run as 15315/15316.

  6. Patliputra-Chandigarh Express: The old number 22355/22356 will be changed to the new number 13255/13256.

  7. Darbhanga-Jalandhar City Antyodaya Express: Old number 22551/22552 will now operate with number 15541/15542.

  8. Corbett Park Link Express (Moradabad-Ramnagar): Old number 25013/25014 will be changed to 15313/15314 and Moradabad link 25035/25036 will be changed to 15335/15336.

Railways has issued an important advisory for passengers booking tickets through IRCTC app or railway reservation counter. Since the official numbers of these trains are completely changing from January 1, if you search with the old number, a status like ‘Train Not Found’ or ‘Cancelled’ may appear in the system. Passengers have been advised to make bookings and check live running status through National Train Inquiry System (NTES), Railway Helpline No. 139 or IRCTC portal using station code or new train number. Railways is also working on a detailed process for auto-refund or system adjustment for passengers who have booked tickets at old fares under the Advance Reservation Period (ARP). Starting the new year with low fares will definitely bring a pleasant experience for Indian Railways passengers.

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