Tejas Express finds few takers

Runs with 30-40% vacant seats; talks on to discontinue LTT-Madgaon Express

Mumbai: Two of India’s high-speed trains, Tejas Express and Gatimaan Express, do not seem to have become a hit with passengers.

In the last one month, Gatimaan has run at about 30% of its occupancy every day, while Tejas has run at 60-70% since it was launched on May 22.

“Passengers get confirmed tickets even when they book just a day before the journey. We have been working on this issue since the train was launched,” said a Central Railway official.

Talks are also on to discontinue the double-decker Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Madgaon Express, which runs between Mumbai and Goa, due to its low occupancy.

The Tejas Express occupancy chart shows the train has run with 30-40% vacant seats on most days.

Gatiman Express, the fastest train in India, runs between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Agra Cantonment covering a distance of 184 kilometres in 100 minutes. It runs at 165 kmph, though it has a top speed of 200 kmph. However, the occupancy of this train has become a sore point for the railway authorities: it runs with 70% vacant seats on weekdays and 20% vacant seats on weekends.

“The main reason for the vacant seats is that there are other trains on the same route which offer cheaper fares. Most passengers are concerned with the fares charged,” said a Northern Railway official.

However, Neeraj Sharma, chief PRO, Northern Railway, told The Hindu: “The train is not running at a loss. There is a seasonal variation in the bookings of Gatimaan Express, and passengers get their berths on demand in this particular train.” The train has 10 coaches, which include eight chair cars with 56 seats each, and two executive chair cars with a 78-seat capacity.

Passengers on the Delhi-Agra section have the option of taking other trains like the Shatabdi Express, which takes 126 minutes, just 26 minutes more than Gatiman. Besides, the fare for a Gatimaan Express chair car is ₹750 and the Shatabdi charges only ₹515. An executive chair car seat on the Gatimaan Express costs ₹1,500, compared ₹1,010. on the Shatabdi Express.

Surendra Kumar, who boarded Gatiman Express in Agra, said he would not travel by this train again, though he likes the services and facilities available. “I travelled by this train for the first time to feel the speed. But the fare is much higher than that of other trains.”