IRCTC launches India’s first ‘private’ passenger train service
04 Oct 2019
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath today flagged of India’s first 'private' train, the IRCTC-run Tejas Express, that will allow passengers to travel between Delhi and Lucknow in. world-class luxury and comfort.
Train number 82501/82502 will ply between the New Delhi Railway station (NDLS)-Lucknow NE (LJN) for six days a week, except Tuesday.
While Train number 82501 Lucknow-New Delhi Tejas Express will complete the journey in 6 hours and 15 minutes, Train number 82502 New Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will take 6 hours and 30 minutes.
For Train number 82501 IRCTC Tejas Express Lucknow to Delhi, an executive chair car ticket will cost Rs2,310. While AC chair car (CC) ticket will cost Rs1,505.
For Train Number 82502 an executive char car (EC) ticket will cost Rs2.450 while an AC chair car (CC) ticket will cost Rs1,755.
Tejas Express is a more premium version of the Shatabdi Express category of air-conditioned chair cars. IRCTC Tejas Lucknow-Delhi Express is offering luxurious travel to its passengers.
There are charging points with all seats, reclining seats, toilet occupancy indicator, fire extinguisher, CCTV and reading lights.
There are several unique features of this new IRCTC Tejas Express train. In a first, passengers will be paid for any delay on an hourly basis - Rs100 in case of a delay of more than an hour and Rs250 in cases of a delay exceeding 2 hours.
A whopping Rs25 lakh free insurance will alsobe provided for each and every passenger.
Passengers booking tickets on IRCTC Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express, must pay for the meals, which is mandatory. Passengers onboard will be provided with premium quality food and beverages. Tea and coffee vending machines have been installed in the train.
With the all-new Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express, the e-ticketing and catering arm of Indian Railways, IRCTC, will have full operational and ticketing control of a passenger train. IRCTC will be wholly and solely responsible for the operations of the train service.
Tejas Express is the first step by railway ministry towards introducing private trains on Indian Railways’ network.
The success of this new experiment by Piyush Goyal-led Indian Railways will make way for private operators to run trains in India. The Railway Board has already asked zonal railways to consider the feasibility of running private trains on 50 key routes, including Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah.
Indian Railways has been offering premium train options with world class facilities. Two such are IRCTC Tejas Express and Vande Bharat Express.