India’s Lucknow-Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express is set to be temporarily renamed the “Sprite Tejas Express”, marking the first time a privately operated passenger train in the country will carry a commercial brand in its name. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has awarded branding rights for the premium train to beverage brand Sprite under a new advertising arrangement. The branding will apply to Tejas Express train numbers 82501 and 82502 for a limited period.
The move marks a new experiment in railway advertising, going beyond conventional advertisements displayed on trains and at stations. Under the arrangement, Sprite’s name will become part of the train’s identity, with the Lucknow-New Delhi-Lucknow service being referred to as the “Sprite Tejas Express”. The initiative represents an expansion of the ways in which IRCTC can commercially use railway assets and passenger services for advertising and branding. While advertisements and full-body train wraps are already familiar sights across the railway network, attaching a private company’s brand directly to a train’s name represents a significant departure from traditional practice.
IRCTC has granted Sprite advertising rights for six months under the agreement. The branding rights will cover the train’s exterior as well as internal areas, giving the company extensive visibility during the contract period. The initiative effectively turns the premium passenger service into a moving advertising platform while associating the commercial brand with the train itself.
The underlying railway service, however, remains the Tejas Express, and the commercial naming is temporary rather than a permanent renaming of the train. Passengers will continue to use the same train numbers — 82501 and 82502 — for the Lucknow-New Delhi and New Delhi-Lucknow services.
The Tejas Express connects Lucknow Junction with New Delhi and is operated by IRCTC using Indian Railways infrastructure.
The fully air-conditioned premium service offers AC Chair Car and Executive Chair Car accommodation along with onboard catering and other passenger amenities. The train has been positioned as a premium alternative for passengers travelling between the Uttar Pradesh capital and Delhi.
The service also offers group-booking facilities, including provisions for booking an entire AC Chair Car coach for groups and special occasions.
The Sprite partnership could open another avenue for Indian Railways and IRCTC to generate non-fare revenue.
Railway advertising has traditionally involved station displays, coach wraps, digital screens and branding inside trains. Allowing a commercial sponsor to become part of a train’s temporary name could make premium services particularly attractive to large consumer brands.
The Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express will serve as the first major test of how passengers and advertisers respond to such naming partnerships.
If the model proves commercially successful, similar arrangements could potentially be explored for other trains, though no broader rollout has yet been announced.
Despite the attention surrounding the “new name”, the Tejas Express has not been permanently renamed after Sprite.
The arrangement is essentially a time-bound branding partnership under which the sponsor’s name will accompany the train’s existing identity. Once the advertising agreement ends, the commercial branding can be removed unless the partnership is renewed or extended.
That distinction makes the initiative closer to naming-rights partnerships commonly seen in stadiums and sporting events than a formal change to the railway service’s permanent name.
For Indian Railways, however, the experiment represents a notable shift: for the first time, passengers will board a premium train whose public-facing identity directly incorporates the name of a private consumer brand.