The Tejas Express is a semi-high speed fully air-conditioned train introduced by Indian 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 3 semi-high speed trains running in India, the others being the Vande Bharat Express and the Gatimaan Express.[1]
| Tejas Express | |
|---|---|
 Brand new Tejas Express coaches at Delhi Safdarjung railway station. | |
| Overview | |
| Service type | Superfast |
| Status | Active |
| First service | 24 May 2017 |
| 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 200km/h (124 mph) |
History
editThe inaugural run of Tejas Express was on 24 May 2017 from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Maharashtra to Karmali, 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 between Chennai Egmore and Madurai Junction by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[3] It covered 497 km in 6 hours and 30 minutes.
The Lucknow – 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 on Mumbai – Surat and New 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 of Indian Railways.[9][10]
The Ahmedabad – Mumbai Tejas express, also operated by IRCTC, was inaugurated on 17 January 2020.[11]
Technical specifications
edit
The coaches of the first Tejas Express of India, which runs between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai and Karmali are manufactured at Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala in Kapurthala district of Punjab. The coaches of the second Tejas express, which runs between Chennai Egmore and Madurai, were manufactured at Integral 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 than Shatabdi 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]
Routes
edit| 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 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Luxury train Tejas Express running without safety clearance, ibtimes.com, 27 July 2017
- ^ "Mumbai-Goa route gets Railways' premium train Tejas". dna. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ "Madurai-Chennai Tejas Express flagged off! After Vande Bharat, it's the swankiest Indian Railways train". The Financial Express. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ^ "2 months on, high speed Tejas Express on Chandigarh-Delhi route yet to hit the tracks". hindustantimes.com. 12 October 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ^ "Delhi to Chandigarh in 3 hours! This luxury train in Indian Railways new time-table will make it possible". The Financial Express. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ^ "Trains at Glance" (PDF). Indian Railways. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ^ "Tejas Express from Lucknow to Delhi flagged by CM Yogi Aditya Nath". The Times of India. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ^ "'Surat-Mumbai Tejas train not feasible' – Times of India". The Times of India. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- ^ "Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express set to be first train to be run by private operators". Livemint. 21 August 2019.
- ^ "India's first private train Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express flagged off today". Livemint. 4 October 2019.
- ^ "Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas Express to be Flagged off Today". Railpost.in. 17 January 2020.
- ^ "ICF rolls out modern coaches for Tejas Express". The Hindu Businessline. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- ^ India’s first high-speed train Tejas makes debut, asianage.com, 23 May 2017
- ^ [1], indianrailinfo.com
- ^ "All about Tejas Express: Digital New Interiors, Yummy Catering Onboard – Orient Rail Journeys Blog". luxurytrainindia.org. 23 June 2023.
- ^ "Travel on Tejas Trains To Be Costlier Than Shatabdi". ndtv.com.
- ^ "Tejas trains to give passengers feel of world-class travel with personal video screens, Wi-Fi, coffee vending machines", The Economic Times, 10 July 2016