Hierarchy of trains

1 Rajdhani Expresses: These are all air-conditioned trains linking major cities to New Delhi. The Rajdhanis have the highest priority and are the fastest trains in India, travelling at about 140 km/h (87 mph). There are only a few stops on a Rajdhani route.

2 Shatabdi and Jan Shatabdi Expresses: The Shatabdi trains are AC intercity seater-type trains. Jan-Shatabdi trains are generally non-AC and thus cheaper.

3 Super-fast Expresses or Mail trains: These are trains that have an average speed greater than 55 km/h (34 mph). Tickets for these trains have an additional super-fast surcharge.

4 Express: These are the most common kind of trains in India. They have more stops than their super-fast counterparts, but they stop only at relatively important intermediate stations.

5 Passenger and Fast Passenger: These are slow trains that stop at every single station, and are the cheapest trains. The entire train consists of the General-type compartments.

6 Suburban trains: Trains that operate in urban areas, usually stop at all stations.