Shatabdi Expresses are a series of superfast passenger trains which are being operated by Indian Railways, to serve as connections between Metro towns and important cities and business centers. Shatabadi Expresses are day trains and they return to the station of origin, the same day.

Shatabdi and Rajdhani Express are the fastest trains in India, and India Railways considers them to be prestigious trains. While the Shatabdi Express series of trains run over short distances, Rajdhani Expresses are long-distance trains connecting Delhi to various state capitals. Both series of trains have a regular speed of 130 km/h. The fastest train in India though is the New Delhi - Bhopal Shatabdi Express which runs at a speed of 150 km/h.

The train was considered a landmark when it was introduced in India in 1988. In fact, it was criticized heavily by a section of society for its luxury in a poor country. However, with the passage of time, the train has fallen far below global standards of luxury and speed.

Shatabdi Expresses offer fast connectivity with very few stops in between. They are fully air-conditioned and of a much higher standard than most Indian rail coaches. Shatabdi Express travelers are provided with snacks, breakfast/meals, coffee/tea, a one litre water can, and juice.

Destinations
Indian Railways operates 12 pairs of Shatabdi Expresses and 16 pairs of Jan-Shatabdi Expresses. Out of the 12 Shatabdi Expresses, 8 originate from New Delhi (to Bhopal, Lucknow, 2 to Amritsar, 2 to Kalka, Ajmer and Dehradun), two from Chennai (to Bangalore and Mysore) and one each from Kolkata (to Ranchi) and Mumbai (to Ahmedabad).