New Delhi: India’s railway advertising landscape is set for a striking new experiment. The Lucknow–New Delhi Tejas Express is set to acquire a commercial brand identity as “Sprite Tejas Express”, with the new branding scheduled to take effect from August 19, 2026.

The initiative involves IRCTC’s train-branding advertising rights, with Sprite branding planned across the premium Tejas service operating between Lucknow and New Delhi. The move could mark a significant expansion of train branding in India, taking railway advertising beyond conventional posters and coach advertisements to the train’s public identity itself.

Indian Railways has previously permitted internal and external train advertising, including vinyl wrapping, as part of its strategy to increase non-fare revenue.

New System to Take Effect on August 19

According to railway sources, IRCTC has awarded train-branding advertising rights to Sprite for a six-month period. Under the arrangement, Tejas Express services 82501 and 82502, operating between Lucknow and New Delhi, will be identified as the “Sprite Tejas Express” during the designated branding period.

The branded identity is scheduled to be implemented from August 19 to November 11, 2026, a period of approximately 83 days for the specific station-announcement and display arrangement.

Special instructions have reportedly been issued to the North Eastern Railway (NER) and concerned railway divisions to ensure that the train is referred to as “Sprite Tejas Express” in announcements and displayed on digital boards at originating and en-route stations in both directions.

This is the element that makes the campaign particularly noteworthy: the branding is not confined to advertising panels but extends to the way the train is publicly announced at stations.

From Tejas Express to ‘Sprite Tejas Express’

Train advertising itself is not new in India. Railway advertising companies already offer both exterior and interior branding on express and premium trains, including full or partial coach wraps.

However, the reported Sprite arrangement takes the concept a step further by combining the commercial brand with the train’s existing name.

In effect, passengers could hear station announcements referring to the service as “Sprite Tejas Express”, while digital display boards carry the same branded identity.

The move therefore transforms the train from simply an advertising platform into a moving brand asset.

Vinyl Wrapping to Transform the Train’s Appearance

Under the commercial partnership, Coca-Cola India’s Sprite brand is expected to receive extensive branding rights on the Tejas Express.

The campaign includes exterior vinyl wrapping of the coaches, giving the train a distinctive Sprite-themed green appearance. Branding is also expected inside the coaches through advertising panels and digital promotional material.

Vinyl train wrapping is an established form of railway advertising in India. Indian Railways’ train-branding policy explicitly permits advertising through vinyl wrapping on train exteriors as well as advertising inside coaches.

For Sprite, the arrangement effectively turns the Lucknow–Delhi Tejas into a moving billboard, delivering repeated visibility along one of the country’s important premium rail corridors.

Why the Lucknow-Delhi Route Matters

The Lucknow–New Delhi Tejas Express offers advertisers access to passengers travelling between two major urban centres.

Train-branding companies describe premium express routes as attractive advertising platforms because the same branded asset travels through multiple locations and reaches passengers, station users and people viewing the train from outside the railway premises.

That makes the campaign valuable not only inside the coaches but also at railway stations, where the green Sprite-wrapped train could create substantial visual impact.

No Direct Financial Burden on Passengers

One of the key attractions of the strategy is its potential to generate non-fare revenue.

Unlike a passenger-fare increase, advertising revenue can provide an additional income stream without directly increasing the ticket price because of the branding exercise.

Indian Railways has long promoted advertising and other commercial activities as a means of expanding non-fare revenue. Its train-branding policy specifically identifies internal and external advertising as a way to augment railway earnings.

The Sprite Tejas experiment could therefore offer a commercially attractive model: brands get high-visibility advertising, while the railway ecosystem gains additional revenue without relying solely on passenger fares.

Could Vande Bharat Be Next?

The bigger significance of the experiment could lie beyond the Lucknow–Delhi Tejas.

If the branded-train model proves commercially successful, it could encourage wider adoption of premium train branding, potentially creating opportunities across other high-profile services.

Vande Bharat trains, Shatabdi services and other premium intercity trains already attract significant interest from advertisers, and train-branding agencies actively market these services as premium advertising platforms.

A successful Sprite campaign could consequently become a test case for how far Indian Railways and IRCTC are willing to take commercial branding on passenger services.

A New Chapter in Railway Advertising

The “Sprite Tejas Express” initiative represents a notable shift in railway advertising—from advertisements on trains to a brand becoming part of the train’s public-facing identity.

For passengers, the most visible changes will likely be the green Sprite-themed exterior, branded interiors and the new name appearing on station displays and announcements.

For the railway sector, however, the larger story is about monetising premium assets without putting the entire burden of revenue generation on passenger fares.

If the experiment delivers strong advertising returns while maintaining the premium character of the service, the Sprite Tejas Express could become a model for the next generation of commercial train branding in India.