In a first for Indian Railways, a passenger train will run under a corporate brand name for the next three months, as the Lucknow–Delhi Tejas Express is rebranded as the “Sprite Tejas Express” under a new advertising tie-up between the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Coca-Cola’s Sprite.
Under the deal, which runs from August 19 to November 11, 2026, the train — officially numbered 82501/82502 — will be announced by its sponsored name at originating and en-route stations on both the up and down legs of its journey between Lucknow Junction (LJN) and New Delhi (NDLS). Sprite has also secured exterior wrap rights on the train’s coaches for the duration of the campaign.
“This is the first time that a train is being named after a brand,” a senior Railways official said, describing the move as a new advertising format for Indian Railways beyond the exterior wrap advertisements that have periodically appeared on other trains.
An IRCTC-Run, Fully Commercial Superfast Service
The Tejas Express is IRCTC’s flagship premium offering — a fully air-conditioned, corporate-style superfast train first flagged off by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on December 3, 2021. Covering roughly 512 km between Lucknow and Delhi in about six hours and fifteen minutes, and operating six days a week under the North Eastern Railway (NER) zone, the service already distinguishes itself from standard Indian Railways trains through onboard catering, infotainment, and premium AC Chair Car coaches that can be booked out in full 78-seat blocks for corporate events, weddings, and other group functions.
That existing premium positioning is what made the route an attractive canvas for Sprite’s campaign. IRCTC received the branding and advertising rights via a Letter of Acceptance from Indian Railways, and in return pays the standard haulage charges that cover track and station infrastructure use — meaning the tie-up generates fresh non-fare revenue for both IRCTC and Indian Railways without any change to passenger ticket prices.
Why It Matters?
Indian Railways has long sold advertising space — on stations, tickets, and train exteriors — but naming an entire scheduled service after a consumer brand is new territory. Industry observers have described it as a shift in how India’s railway infrastructure can be commercialised, effectively turning a running train into what one report called “a moving brand property”: a mobile, high-frequency touchpoint that reaches thousands of commuters and travellers along one of India’s busiest business corridors, with the brand name repeated aloud at every station announcement along the route.
For Sprite, the tie-up offers sustained, real-world visibility to a captive audience over nearly three months — a distinctly experiential complement to conventional television and digital advertising. For Indian Railways and IRCTC, it opens a potential template for future brand-sponsored train services, should the pilot prove successful.
Neither IRCTC nor Coca-Cola India has disclosed the financial terms of the arrangement.
