India’s First Private Train - The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express.

Photo By:-By Rajendra B. Aklekar - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

                       Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will be India's first train operated by private sector. The Railways, despite protests from its unions, is going ahead with its 100-day agenda of handing over operations of two of its trains to the private sector.

1.    The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express. (Train number 12585/12586)

2.    The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Express (Train number 80383/80384)

                       Tejas Express is India's first semi-high speed fully air conditioned train which is capable of running at a maximum speed of 200 KMPH, but the maximum operating speed allowed is 130 kmph due to track and safety constraints.

                       Here is all you need to know about India’s First Private Train, The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express.

1.    The train is expected to start its operation from October 4^th 2019.

2.    The Tejas Express will depart from Lucknow Junction at 6.50 am and reach New Delhi at 1.35 pm. On the return journey, it will leave from New Delhi at 3.35 pm and will arrive in Lucknow Junction at 10.05 pm. 

3.    The train will have aircraft-like personalized LCD entertainment-cum-information screens fitted at the back of every seat, on-board Wi- Fi facility, comfortable seats, mobile charging points, automatic doors and CCTV cameras.

4.    The seats will have an orange and yellow colour scheme that will match the exteriors of the train.

5.    Tejas coaches are fitted with LED lights and fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) interior panels, modular toilets and smart windows with motor-operated venetian blinds.

6.    The new Tejas Express train will have 23 chair cars and executive class coaches.

7.    According to the Northern Railway's timetable, Tejas Express will run for five days a week between New Delhi and Lucknow. It will not run on Thursday and Sunday.

8.    The total distance it will cover will be 512 kms.

9.    Coaches will have bio-vacuum toilets, water level indicators, tap sensors, hand dryers, integrated braille displays, local cuisine, celebrity chef menu, tea & coffee vending machines, magazines, snack tables, fire & smoke detection and suppression system.

10. 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.

11. Each coach will have RO water filter and will be provided on demand to passengers. Packaged drinking water bottle for each passenger will also be there for travelers.

12. Passengers can book tickets in Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express via IRCTC website www.irctc.co.in or its mobile app. There will be no booking at railway reservation counters.

13. Passengers can also book tickets through IRCTC authorized agents. Train tickets of Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will be available through online travel portals such as Paytm, Ixigo, PhonePe, Make My Trip, Google, Ibibo, Railyatri etc.

14. Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express trains will have advance reservation period of 60 days. No concessions, privileges or duty passes will be allowed on these trains.

15. Children of age 5 years and above will be charged the full fare.

16. Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will follow dynamic fare rule. Train will have different series of fares for lean, busy and festive seasons. The fares will be around 50% less than the price of flight tickets on the same route even during the peak season.

17. There will be no tatkal quota or premium tatkal quota in these trains. There will be only general quota and foreign tourist quota. 

18. Passengers can book the tickets of chair car on first-cum-first-serve basis. For group bookings 78 seats in one AC chair car will be available.

19. One has to book tickets via online at least three days prior from the date of journey.

20. High quality food and beverages will be provided to the passengers on board in the train. Food charges will be compulsory and will be collected when tickets are booked. Free tea and coffee will be available in trains from vending machines.

21. For the passengers of the Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express, IRCTC plans to offer exclusive doorstep baggage collection and drop services. IRCTC is planning a scheme whereby it will ferry the luggage of passengers from their homes to their seats and from the seat to their destination on a payment basis. This is to ensure that passengers can travel without being concerned about their luggage. All luggage will be insured.

22. IRCTC will be free to advertise inside and outside the coaches. It will also be at liberty to make modifications inside the rake without making structural changes or any changes that affect safety.

SIMRAN

                                Now track the Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani train and a host of other Rajdhanis on-line. Just log in at simran.in and find out the train location, running position and location with respect to the next stop in terms of kilometres. 
                               The Indian Railways went live with the new satellite-based technology that would help commuters waiting at stations to track down the exact location of trains. The official name of the project is Satellite Imaging for Rail Navigation or SIMRAN. The railway ministry took four years to complete the project.
                              The system will provide the public and passengers information such as train’s running position (whether it is running on time or late and the duration of delay), and location with respect to the next stop in terms of kms.
                              The Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) at Lucknow and Kanpur IIT had been working on the project, which also involves getting details on mobile phones.            
                              The work is being done in a phase-wise manner. It’s a Rs100-crore project, and it will eventually connect all stations and trains. The project works on the principles of GPS navigation and radio frequency and would require installation of radio tags on locomotives, stations and control rooms connected to a central server. The process also involves digital mapping of stations.
                              Presently this service is available on Pilot/Trial Basis for selected trains only.

Railways Extend Advance Reservation Period to 120 Days.

                                The Ministry of Railways has decided to increase the advance reservation period for booking reserved train tickets from existing 90 days to 120 days on experimental basis (excluding the date of journey) w.e.f. March 10, 2012.

                                 However, there will be no change in case of certain day-time express trains like Taj Express, Gomti Express etc. where lower time limits for advance reservations are at present in force. There will also be no change in case of the limit of 360 days for foreign tourists.

The New Tatkal Booking System.

                                To ensure the reserved accommodation in trains to the passengers, who need to travel by trains within a very short notice due to emergency, Shri Dinesh Trivedi, Hon’ble Minister for Railways has recently implemented a new Tatkal booking scheme on and from 21 November 2011. This Tatkal booking facility has been introduced to eliminate the possibility of booking of tickets by touts/miscreants through Tatkal scheme and sell to the passengers in emergency, against high premium. Booking procedure through new Tatkal scheme is given below:-

                                    The Advance Reservation Period (ARP) of Tatkal scheme is reduced from two days to one day excluding the day of journey from the train originating station w.e.f Monday, 21 November 2011. For example, if a train is to depart from the originating station on the second of the month, the Tatkal quota for that particular train shall open at 08.00 hrs. on the first of the month.

i)     Agents/Rail Travel Service Agencies (RTSAs) will not be allowed booking Tatkal tickets at the counters between 08.00 hrs. and 10.00 hrs.

ii)     System will allow to book only maximum 4 passengers in a Tatkal booking.

iii)     Tatkal tickets shall be issued only on production of one of the eight prescribed proofs of identity as per procedure explained below:-

a)    For this purpose, a self-attested photocopy of the proof of identity of any one passenger should be attached to the requisition slip.

b)     The details of the identity proof will be captured by the system and indicated on the reserved tickets as well on the reservation chart. It will not be mandatory for the passenger(s) to go to the counter to book the Tatkal ticket, however, the proof will have to be sent in the aforementioned manner.

c)     During the journey, the passenger, whose identity card number has been indicated on the ticket, will have to produce original proof of identity indicated on the ticket, failing which all the passengers booked on the ticket shall be treated as travelling without ticket and charged accordingly. Indication will come on the ticket regarding carrying the same original proof of identity during the journey, as indicated on the ticket.

d)     If the passenger whose identity card number is indicated on the ticket is not travelling, all other passengers booked on that ticket, if found travelling in train, will be treated as travelling without ticket and charged accordingly.

e)    For booking done on more than one passenger, system will allow to input identification numbers passenger-wise in case if identification proofs are submitted by the concerned passengers. Input identification card information will be printed passenger-wise on the tickets as well as on the reservation chart. In such cases, in case of non-travelling of one of the passengers whose proof of identity has been indicated, other passenger(s) can undertake the journey on production of original proof of identity by the other passenger(s) whose proof of identity has been indicated on the ticket as well as on the reservation chart

f)    No refund will be granted on cancellation of Tatkal confirmed tickets subject to the exception such as cancellation of trains/late running of trains for more than 3 hours, etc.

g)    Cameras will be installed at the ticket counters to maintain stricter vigilance.

Soon, carry ID card when you book a railway ticket

                            The Railways is soon going to make it mandatory for passengers buying any type of ticket to carry a valid government identity proof such as PAN card or driving licence. This move has been taken in a bid to improve security at railway stations and curb anti-social elements. Earlier, one had to produce an ID card only while travelling in a reserved compartment. 

                           Confirming the move, Southern Railway chief public relations officer V J Accamma said Indian Railways had decided to make ID cards mandatory for the purchase of any type of tickets, including platform tickets. This would also help the railway authorities to crack down on touts operating at reservation counters and help weed out multiple reservations being made on fake names by travel agents. 

                           The modalities are being worked out for issuing general and platform tickets as most of those who travel in this class are from the lower strata of society and may not possess any type of ID card. Railway officials said though the decision was taken a few months ago, the proposal was still awaiting the nod of the railway ministry. 


Source :-The  Times Of India

Free Monthly Season Tickets for Railway Travel Extended to Girls Pursuing Professional/Vocational Courses Up to Graduation

As per the existing provisions, girl students upto Graduation are eligible for free Monthly Season Tickets (MSTs) for travel between station serving their school/college to residence.

As announced by the Railway Minister during discussion on Railway Budget 2011-12, it has been decided to extend the above mentioned concession to girl students who are pursuing professional/vocational courses also upto the level of Graduation. This will include courses like M.B.B.S., B.E., B. Tech., B.B.A., B.C.A. etc. etc.

There will be no change in other terms and conditions, including the eligibility/entitlement of free MSTs to boy students.

This concession will be admissible on MSTs purchased on and after 1st July, 2011.

Senior Citizen-Concession

                           Railways Issues Notification to Increase Fare Concession to Male Senior Citizen and to Reduce Age Limit for female Senior Citizen

                     The New Facility WEF 1st June, 2011

                          

                          As per existing provisions, senior citizens of minimum 60 years are eligible for concession in the basic fares of Mail/Express trains and all inclusive fares of Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Jan Shatabdi trains. The element of concession is 30 per cent for male senior citizens and 50 per cent for female senior citizens.

                 As announced by Minister of Railways in Budget speech for 2011-12 on 25th February, 2011, it has been decided to reduce the minimum age for availing concession from 60 years to 58 years in case for female senior citizens. However, the element of concession will continue to remain at 50 per cent.

                         It has also been decided to increase the element of concession in case of male senior citizens from 30 per cent to 40 per cent. The minimum age will, however, continue to be 60 years in case of men.

                        There will be no change in other terms and conditions.

                        The concession will be admissible on tickets purchased on and after 01.06.2011. In case of tickets already issued for travel on & after 01.06.2011, refund of difference of fares will not be admissible.