| Tejas Express | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Brand new Tejas Express coaches at Delhi Safdarjung railway station. | |
| Overview | |
| Service type | Superfast |
| Status | Active |
| First service | 24 May 2017; 7 years ago (2017-05-24) |
| Current operator(s) | Indian Railways (Public) IRCTC (Corporate) |
| Website | https://indianrail.gov.in |
| Route | |
| Line(s) used | 4 |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) |
|
| Seating arrangements | Yes |
| Sleeping arrangements | Yes |
| Catering facilities | On-board catering, Tea and coffee vending machines, Local cuisine, Celebrity chef menu |
| Observation facilities | Large windows in all carriages; services operated by both state and corporate operators. |
| Entertainment facilities | Magazines, Electric outlets, On-board Wi-Fi |
| Baggage facilities | Overhead racks on Chair car rake Underneath storage of the bearths on Sleeper car rake |
| Other facilities | Automatic doors, Smoke alarms, CCTV cameras, Hand dryers, Odour control system, Sensor based water taps, Bio-vacuum toilets, Water level indicators, Fire and smoke detection, Suppression system. |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | LHB-Tejas Rake |
| Track gauge | Indian gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | 25 kV AC at 50 Hz |
| Operating speed | 130 km/h (81 mph); Tested speed: 200 km/h (120 mph) |
TheTejas Express is asemi-high speedfully air-conditioned train introduced byIndian Railways. It features modern onboard facilities with doors which are operated automatically. Tejas means "sharpness", "lustre", or "brilliance" in many Indian languages. It is one of 3semi-high speed trains running inIndia, the others being theVande Bharat Express and theGatimaan Express.[1]
The inaugural run of Tejas Express was on 24 May 2017 fromChhatrapati Shivaji Terminus,Maharashtra toKarmali,Goa. It covered 552 km in 8 hours and 30 minutes.[2] On 1 March 2019, the second Tejas Express of the country was flagged off betweenChennai Egmore andMadurai Junction by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi.[3] It covered 497 km in 6 hours and 30 minutes.
TheLucknow –New Delhi route (currently running) has been included in the current Trains at Glance, the official train time-table booklet, with "Date of Introduction to be declared" condition. At the same time news websites have quoted railway officials saying a hold of three years.[4][5][6][7] Meanwhile, the train service which was expected to be launched onMumbai –Surat andNew Delhi-Jalandhar route has also been put on hold.[8]
Lucknow – New Delhi Tejas Express, which was inaugurated on 4 October 2019, is India's first train operated by private operators,IRCTC, a subsidiary ofIndian Railways.[9][10]
TheAhmedabad – Mumbai Tejas express, also operated by IRCTC, was inaugurated on 17 January 2020.[11]
The coaches of the first Tejas Express of India, which runs between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai and Karmali are manufactured atRail Coach Factory, Kapurthala in Kapurthala district of Punjab. The coaches of the second Tejas express, which runs between Chennai Egmore and Madurai, were manufactured atIntegral Coach Factory,Chennai.[12] The train is designed to run at a maximum speed of 200 km/h (120 mph) but the maximum operating speed allowed is 130 km/h (81 mph) due to track and safety constraints.[13] Presently, the train runs at an average speed of 65 km/h (40 mph).[14]
There are 14 non-executive chair cars and they can seat up to 72 passengers each in 3+2 configuration. The coaches have energy-efficient LED lights and digital destination display boards. It also has two executive chair cars in 2+2 configuration. The executive chair cars have a seating capacity of 56 passengers with adjustable head-rests, arm support and leg support. The leg support is not available in non-executive chair cars. The seats on tejas express are also very comfortable in terms of height on the contrary of regular AC chair car seats.
Coaches have bio-vacuum toilets, water level indicators, tap sensors, hand dryers, integrated braille displays, LED TV for each passenger with phone sockets, local cuisine, celebrity chef menu, WiFi, tea & coffee vending machines, magazines, snack tables, CCTV cameras, fire & smoke detection and suppression system.[15] The fares will be 20% to 30% more thanShatabdi fares.[16] The Tejas Express has redesigned seats with eco-leather. Toilets are equipped with soap dispensers, touch-less water taps, odour-control systems and occupancy indicators. Doors are centrally controlled.[17]
| S. No. | Train No. | Originating Station | Terminal Station | Halts | Frequency | Distance | Travel Time | Average Speed | Inauguration | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22119/22120 | CSMT Mumbai | Madgaon Jn | 7 | 5 Days/wk | 580 km (360 mi) | 09h 10m | 63 km/h (39 mph) | 24 May 2017 | Indian Railways |
| 2 | 22671/22672 | Chennai Egmore | Madurai Jn | 3 | Except Thursday | 493 km (306 mi) | 06h 15m | 79 km/h (49 mph) | 1 March 2019 | Indian Railways |
| 3 | 82501/82502 | Lucknow | New Delhi | 2 | Except Tuesday | 512 km (318 mi) | 06h 15m | 82 km/h (51 mph) | 4 October 2019 | IRCTC |
| 4 | 82901/82902 | Ahmedabad | Mumbai Central | 6 | Except Thursday | 492 km (306 mi) | 06h 25m | 77 km/h (48 mph) | 17 January 2020 | IRCTC |
