India’s first private train runs offers Rs 25 lakh insurance cover to passengers; not Vande Bharat, Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi, Amrit Bharat, name is…, it runs between…
India’s first private train: The Tejas Express, which was inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in November last year, is India’s first privately-operated train, that runs on the Lucknow-Delhi route. “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,” Adityanath had said at the train’s launch back in November 2024.
The chief minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Railway Minister Piyush Goyal for their support, and described he launch of Tejas Express as a milestone in India’s rail history.
Rs 25 lakh insurance cover, delay compensation for passengers
The Tejas Express, which is touted as the premium upgrade to the Shatabdi Express, has several unique firsts to its name. The train offers a Rs 25 lakh insurance cover for every traveler, and a compensation to passengers for delays, a first in Indian rail history. The compensation is calculated on an hourly basis.
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 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, making the corporate-run train the quickest option for train travelers on the busy Lucknow-Delhi route.
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 Tuesday being the only non-operational day.
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