IRCTC Tejas Express: All you need to know about its special services and facilities

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will operate two premium passenger trains for general public using the air conditioned chair car Tejas trains. The Tejas Express is India’s first semi-high speed fully air-conditioned train run by IRCTC and is among the fastest trains in India. These two trains will ply on Lucknow – New Delhi - Lucknow and Ahmedabad - Mumbai- Ahmedabad routes for 6 days in a week and will primarily cater to the business travellers besides catering to tourists.

The first train to start with IRCTC management now operates in the Lucknow–New Delhi–Lucknow sector completing the total journey time in 6 hours and 15 minutes. This train has one Executive class air conditioned chair car with 56 seats and nine air conditioned chair cars with a capacity of 78 seats each.

The total carrying capacity of the train is 758 passengers. The train starts its journey in the morning at 06:10 hours and reaches New Delhi at 12:25 hours. The scheduled commercial halts are at Kanpur Central and Ghaziabad. While returning, the train leaves New Delhi at 15:35 hours and reaches Lucknow at 22:05 hours with scheduled halts at Ghaziabad and Kanpur
Central enroute. Tejas Express between Lucknow and New Delhi runs 6 days a week except Tuesdays.

The other Tejas Express train that will also be run by IRCTC will operate on the Ahmedabad – Mumbai – Ahmedabad route. This train will leave Ahmedabad at 06:40 hours and will reach Mumbai at 13:15 hrs. While returning, the train will leave Mumbai at 15:40 hrs and reach Ahmedabad at 22:25 hrs. This train will also run 6 days a week, except Thursdays.

Tejas Express Special Features and Facilities:

• These trains will be available for booking exclusively on IRCTC website www.irctc.co.in and its mobile app “IRCTC Rail Connect”. There will be no booking at railway reservation counters. However, passengers can get their tickets booked through IRCTC authorised agents. Train will also be available for booking through IRCTC’s online travel portal partners like Paytm, Ixigo, PhonePe, Make My Trip, Google, Ibibo, Railyatri etc.
• Tejas Trains will also be available for booking for on duty and leave travel of personnel of defence forces and Central Paramilitary Forces through their online e-ticketing portals integrated with IRCTC such as CGDA (Controller General of Defence Accounts) portal, CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and NDRF (National Disaster Rescue Force) Portals, and also to NSG (National Security Guards) etc. 
• These trains will have advance reservation period of 60 days.
• While there will be no concession tickets in the train, children below 5 years of age have been exempted from fare and will be booked with their parents. Names of Children so booked will not appear on the chart. Children of age 5 years and above will be booked at full fare and will be provided with a seat.
• Train fares will be dynamic in nature keeping in consideration the prevailing bus, taxi, rail and airfares. Train will have different series of fares for lean, busy and festive seasons. February, March and August months of the calendar year will form the lean season. Further, train fares will be on point to point basis.
• Current Booking will be available to users after preparation of first chart which will normally be 4 hours before the scheduled departure of the trains, up to 5 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.
• One air conditioned chair car coach of 78 seats will be available for Group Booking on first cum first served basis. This coach can be booked any time from the opening of booking and up to 5 days in advance of the departure of the train. Booking of a full coach for group will be available completely online to facilitate tourism, corporate travel and other social needs of the public.
• There will be no tatkal quota or premium tatkal quota in these trains. There will be only General Quota and Foreign Tourist Quota. Foreign Tourist Quota of 5 seats in EC and 50 seats in CC will be available for Foreign Tourists.
• All passengers travelling on IRCTC trains will be provided with Rail Travel Insurance of up to Rs. 25 lakh, free of cost by IRCTC.
• In case of cancellation of train, automatic full refund of fare on confirmed and /or waitlisted e-tickets will be made. There will be no need of cancellation of the ticket or filing TDR in such cases.
• On board infotainment services will be available in IRCTC trains to the passengers.
• High quality food and beverages will be provided to the passengers on board in the train. Food will be compulsory and charges will be collected at the time of ticket booking itself. There will also be provision for separate free coffee and tea vending machines. Service in the train will be done through trolleys similar to airlines.
• Each coach will be provided with RO water filter in addition to the packaged drinking water bottle for each passenger. Passengers will be served morning welcome tea, breakfast, snacks before de-boarding, evening high tea and dinner as per itinerary timings.
• IRCTC is planning to imbibe regional delicacies offering local and ethnic cuisines to suit the taste buds of passengers. On board hospitality services will be managed through professional and competent staff from either gender.
• IRCTC will also extend the facilities of taxi hiring, hotel bookings etc on payment to such passengers who need it. Wheel chair will also be provided to passengers on demand.
• Train number 82501 IRCTC Tejas Express Lucknow to Delhi Executive Chair Car costs Rs 2,310 and AC Chair car (CC) ticket costs Rs 1,505. Train Number 82502 IRCTC Tejas Express Delhi to Lucknow ticket for Executive Char Car (EC) costs Rs 2,450 and AC Chair car (CC) ticket costs Rs 1,755.
• Passengers of IRCTC’s Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will be compensated in case of delays. An amount of Rs 100 will be paid in case the delay is for over an hour and Rs 250 for delays of over two hours.