The Indian Railways collected Rs 168 crore in superfast surcharge from passengers on trains that did not meet the prescribed criteria for being classified as superfast, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). The audit covered the period between April 2022 and March 2023 and found that passengers travelling on more than 190 trains were charged the additional amount despite the services not meeting the required speed benchmark.

The findings have raised questions over the implementation of railway rules governing the levy of superfast charges and whether passengers were being billed correctly based on the actual operating speed of trains.

Under the existing criteria, a train can attract a superfast surcharge only when its average speed, calculated for both the onward and return directions, is at least 55 kmph.

The average speed is determined by taking the total end-to-end distance covered by a train and dividing it by the corresponding travel time.

The CAG found that the prescribed benchmark was not being met by more than 190 trains from which the surcharge was collected during the audit period. This resulted in passengers paying an additional charge despite the services not qualifying under the stipulated definition of a superfast train.

Railways Accepted The Audit Finding

The audit observation was subsequently taken up with the Railways in August 2024. According to the CAG report, the national transporter accepted the audit contention and informed the auditor about measures being considered to address the issue.

However, subsequent scrutiny of railway data suggested that the problem had not been fully resolved.

The CAG examined information from the Integrated Coach Management System (ICMS) and found that a significant number of the trains flagged during the audit were still operating below the required speed threshold.

The CAG said that 100 of the 190 trains identified by the audit were still running at an average speed below 55 kmph as of March 2026. Despite their lower average speed, the concerned zonal railway authorities continued to collect the superfast surcharge from passengers travelling on these services.

“Further scrutiny of Integrated Coach Management System (ICMS) data revealed that 100 out of the 190 trains pointed out by audit are still operating (Mar 2026) with an average speed of less than 55 kmph. Despite this, the concerned zonal railways continue to levy a superfast surcharge on passengers travelling on these trains, indicating that the instructions issued (Nov 2025) by the Ministry of Railways are yet to be implemented,” the CAG said.

The observation indicates that corrective instructions issued by the Ministry of Railways in November 2025 had not been fully reflected in the charging practices of the concerned zones.

CAG Calls For Revision Of Train Schedules

The auditor has recommended that the Railways review and revise train schedules so that the classification of services accurately reflects their actual performance. The CAG has specifically advised the national transporter to ensure that only trains satisfying the prescribed speed requirement are classified as superfast and subjected to the corresponding surcharge.

The recommendation is to prevent passengers from being charged an additional amount on services that do not satisfy the required criteria. It also highlights the need for railway authorities to regularly monitor train speeds and ensure that charging practices remain aligned with the applicable rules.