Tejas Express

Tejas Express
Tejas Express coaches at Vasai Road
Overview
Service type	Indian Rail Coach
Status	Active
First service	24 May 2017; 4 years ago (2017-05-24)
Current operator(s)	Indian Railways(Public) IRCTC(Private)
Website	https://indianrail.gov.in
Route
Line(s) used	4
On-board services
Class(es)	Executive Chair Car
Seating arrangements	Yes
Sleeping arrangements	No
Catering facilities	On-board catering Tea & Coffee vending machines Local cuisine food Celebrity Chef Menu
Observation facilities	Large windows in all carriages, Services operated by both state and corporate operators.
Entertainment facilities	LED TV for each passenger Magazines Electric outlets On-board Wi-Fi
Baggage facilities	Overhead racks
Other facilities	Automatic doors Smoke alarms CCTV Cameras Hand dryers Odour control system Sensor based water taps Bio-vacuum toilets Water level indicators Fire & Smoke detection Suppression system.
Technical
Rolling stock	LHB-Tejas Rake
Track gauge	Indian Gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	130 km/h (81 mph)

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 "sharp", "lustre" and "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] Currently four trains are running .

History[]

Kalyan WDP3A twin led Tejas Express in monsoon rains

The inaugural run of Tejas Express was on 24 May 2017 from Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Karmali, Goa. It covered 552 km in 8 hours and 30 minutes.^[2] On 1 March 2019, 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.

Tejas Express on New Delhi - Chandigarh route is expected to commence its services soon after its first announcement in 2016 whereas the Lucknow - New Delhi route running currently as the train has been included in the current Trains at Glance, the official train time-table booklet, with "Date of Introduction to be declared" condition and 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 the 17 January, 2020. ^[11]

Recently Agartala - Anand Vihar Rajdhani Express was upgraded to Tejas style sleeper rake and was named as Tejas Rajdhani special. This train leaves Agartala on monday and arrives Anand Vihar on Wednesday morning and leaves Anand Vihar on Wednesday evening and arrives Agartala on Friday. Earliar Rajdhani used to run on this slot between Agartala and Anand Vihar Terminus (Delhi). This train became country's first sleeper Tejas express.^[12] The Mumbai Rajdhani Express, and the Rajendra Nagar Patna Rajdhani Express are also both now run with Tejas LHB coaches, replacing the former Rajdhani LHB coaches.^[13]

Technical specifications[]

Interior of the Tejas Express,

The coaches of first Tejas Express of India, which runs between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai and Karmali are manufactured at Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala in Kapurthala district of Punjab. The coaches of second Tejas express, which runs between Chennai Egmore and Madurai, were manufactured at Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.^[14] 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.^[15] Presently, the train runs at an average speed of 65 km/h (40 mph).^[16]

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 WDP 3A engine used to haul the train.

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.^[17] The fares will be 20% to 30% more than Shatabdi fares.^[18] 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.^[19]

Routes[]

Tejas-Rajdhani Express[]

Indian Railways started to upgrade Rajdhani coaches to Tejas coaches known as the Tejas-Rajdhani Express. This replaced its traditional LHB Rajdhani coaches.

See also[]

References[]

External links[]

• Indian Railways