India’s first private train runs on THIS route, not Vande Bharat, Shatabdi, Rajdhani, the train is…, fares start from…

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The Tejas Express, which runs on the Lucknow Delhi route, is the first privately-operated train by IRCTC in India.

Tejas Express (File)

Tejas Express: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated India’s first privately-operated train, the Tejas Express, in November last year, marking the beginning of a new era in the history of train travel in India. The Tejas Express, which runs on the Lucknow Delhi route, is the first privately-operated train by IRCTC in India.

“This is the country’s first corporate-run train, and I congratulate the passengers embarking on this journey. Such initiatives should extend to other cities, promoting eco-friendly public transport,” CM Yogi had said at the train’s launch back in November 2024.

Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Railway Minister Piyush Goyal for their support, Adityanath describing the launch of Tejas Express as a milestone in India’s rail history.

Tejas Express speed

The Tejas Express is slightly faster than the Swarn Shatabdi, taking 6 hours and 15 minutes to arrive at its destination, while the latter takes 6 hours and 40 minutes to complete the journey. Thus, the corporate-train is the quickest option for train travelers on the busy Lucknow-Delhi route.

Tejas Express ticket price

The fares for the Tejas Express are competitive, but subject to dynamic pricing. AC chair car seats cost Rs 1,280, while Rs 2,450 is charged for Executive Class chair seats. Comparatively, the Swarn Shatabdi charges Rs 970 for chair car, and Rs 1,935 for AC 1A, subject to similar dynamic pricing mechanisms.

Tejas Express schedule

The Tejas Express departs Lucknow at 6:10 AM and arrives in Delhi at 12:25 PM. The train begins its return journey from Delhi on the same day at 3:35 PM and arrives in Lucknow at 10:05 PM.

There are only two halts for the Tejas Express on the Lucknow-Delhi. The train stops briefly at Kanpur, and in Ghaziabad, before resuming its journey.

Chief Minister Adityanath said the schedule of Tejas Express was designed to offer a solution to travelers who wish to reach Delhi by afternoon and return to Lucknow the same night, in order to tackle high cost of air travel and lack of this type of train connectivity.

The Tejas Express operates six days a week, with Tuesdays as its only non-operational day.

Rs 25 lakh insurance for travelers

The Tejas Express, touted as premium upgrade to the Shatabdi Express, boasts several firsts in India’s rail history, including providing compensation to passengers for delays, which is calculated on an hourly basis, as well as a Rs 25 lakh insurance cover for every traveler.

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