IRCTC to run second Tejas Express between Mumbai and Ahmedabad

New Delhi: State-run IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) is set to run its second train, Tejas Express, on Ahmedabad-Mumbai route, the PSU said on Saturday. "After Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express by IRCTC, the second premium Tejas train is ready to run between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. The inaugural run of this second Tejas Train will be flagged off from Ahmedabad on January 17, 2020. The commercial run of the train will start with effect from January 19, 2020 from Ahmedabad," a press release said.

Booking for IRCTC Tejas Express has commenced

The booking for this train has commenced and passengers can book their tickets 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. The 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 Express schedule

The train, numbered 82902/82901, shall ply on Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Ahmedabad route for six days a week, with Thursday as an off-day for maintenance activities. The train shall be equipped with all modern on board facilities for ensuring a high level of comfort to the passengers.

To start with, this fully air-conditioned train shall have two Executive Class Chair Cars, having 56 seats each and eight chair cars with capacity of 78 seats each. The total carrying capacity of the train will be 736 passengers. The train will start its journey from Ahmedabad in the morning at 06:40 hours and will reach Mumbai Central at 13.10 hours. It will have scheduled commercial halts at Nadiad, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Vapi and Borivali. For the return journey, the train will leave Mumbai Central at 15:40 hours and will reach Ahmedabad at 21:55 hours with scheduled enroute halts at Borivali, Vapi, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara and Nadiad. The train will run on all days of the week except Thursday. The two trains being run by IRCTC are part of the government's pilot project under which it is looking to rope the private sector in to run trains.

Salient features of the train are as under:

• The tickets can also be booked by 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.
• The train will have advance reservation period of 60 days. Initial trips will be booked on less than 60 days also till such time dates neutralize keeping in mind the train launch date and opening of first booking.
• 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 fare 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. 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 and up to 5 minutes before the scheduled departure of the train.
• There will be no tatkal quota or premium tatkal quota in the train. There will be only General Quota and Foreign Tourist Quota. Foreign Tourist Quota of 6 seats in EC and 12 seats in CC will be available for Foreign Tourists.
• All passengers travelling on IRCTC train will be provided with Rail Travel Insurance of up to Rs. 25 Lakhs, free of cost by IRCTC. This complimentary travel insurance also includes an exclusive coverage of Rs. 1 lakh against household theft / robbery during the travel period of the passengers.
• Besides, this special feature, in a first of its own, IRCTC will also pay a compensation of Rs. 100/- in case the train during its run, is delayed by more than one hour and Rs. 250/- in case of delay of more than two hours to every passenger as compensation.
• IRCTC is offering this complimentary special travel insurance facility to the passengers of IRCTC Tejas Express through M/s Liberty General Insurance Company Limited – a Mumbai based private insurance company
• In case of cancellation of train, automatic full refund of full fare on confirmed and /or waitlisted e-tickets will be made. There will be no need of cancelling the ticket or filing TDR in such case.
• Complimentary 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 and included in the ticket fare.
• 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 and Combo Lunch/Snacks in Ahmedabad –Mumbai sector and Evening High Tea and Dinner in Mumbai-Ahmedabad  as per itinerary timings. Passengers can avail of complimentary tea/coffee service at any point of the journey. Details for the same  will be provided on IRCTC website.
• IRCTC is planning to imbibe regional delicacies from the 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.

Ticket cancellation and refund rules will be as per the extant Indian Railways Cancellation and Refund Rules with the following differences:

1. If a Waitlisted Ticket is presented for cancellation up to 4 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, a clerkage charge of only Rs. 25/- per passenger shall be deducted from the ticket amount and balance refunded online. Indian Railways deducts Rs. 65 per passenger as clerkage from AC class passengers in such case.
2. If a Fully waitlisted ticket is dropped at the time of train charting due to no seats being offered to the passenger, full ticket amount will be refunded online. No clerkage will be deducted on such tickets. Indian Railways deducts Rs. 65 per passenger as clerkage from AC class passengers in such case.
3. If a partially confirmed ticket is cancelled after chart preparation and up to 30 minutes before scheduled departure of the train, full ticket amount will be refunded. No clerkage will be deducted. Indian Railways deducts Rs. 65 per passenger as clerkage from AC class passengers in such case.

Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Ahmedabad(82902/82901) IRCTC train will be running as per the following timings:

Detailed information about the facilities at stations and in the train, rules for ticket booking, procedures, refunds and cancellations etc will be made available to users on IRCTC website, once the train is made available for booking.