Ticket prices for the Tejas Express are competitive, with AC chair car seats starting at Rs 1,280 and executive chair car seats at Rs 2,450.

New Delhi: In a major boost to India’s railway connectivity, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has inaugurated the Tejas Express, India’s first privately-operated train by IRCTC, on the Lucknow-New Delhi route. The train, set to begin its commercial services on Saturday.

Tejas Express will cut the travel time between the two cities to just 6 hours and 15 minutes. Tejas Express is little faster than the Swarn Shatabdi, which currently takes 6 hours and 40 minutes. This makes it the quickest option for passengers on this busy route.

Calling the launch of Tejas a milestone in India’s Rail history, Chief Minister Adityanath highlighted the significance of the train. “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,” he remarked, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal for their support.

CM Adityanath highlighted that this timetable provides a practical option for travelers wanting to reach Delhi by midday and return to Lucknow the same night, offering an affordable alternative to expensive air travel and filling a gap in earlier connectivity options.

Here are some of the key details:

• The Tejas Express reduces travel time between the two cities to just 6 hours and 15 minutes
• Ticket prices for the Tejas Express are competitive, with AC chair car seats starting at Rs 1,280 and executive chair car seats at Rs 2,450.
• However, due to dynamic pricing, tickets have gone as high as Rs 4,325.
• The train’s schedule has been designed for maximum convenience, departing Lucknow at 6:10 AM and arriving in Delhi by 12:25 PM.
• On the return journey, it leaves Delhi at 3:35 PM and reaches Lucknow at 10:05 PM, with only two stops along the way—Kanpur and Ghaziabad.
• The Tejas Express operates six days a week, with Tuesdays as its only non-operational day.
• If this initiative proves successful, it could pave the way for more private operators to manage train services in India.