With LCD screens, Wifi, Tejas Express will redefine rail travel
Indian Railways is set to launch a premium train service called Tejas Express between Mumbai and Goa this summer. Fitted with automatic doors, LCD screens, onboard wifi, tea/coffee vending machines, magazines and snack tables, the 20-coach Tejas Express will also serve cuisine curated by celebrity chefs. The premium Tejas Express service was announced in Rail Budget 2016-17. Tejas will showcase the future of train travel in India, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has said. "Mumbai-Goa train journey will get as exciting as air travel from June...," the Ministry of Railways said on microblogging site Twitter on Monday. Tejas Express will operate at speeds of 130 kmph and above, according to the Rail Budget 2016-17. The train "will showcase the future of train travel in India", offering onboard services such as entertainment, local cuisine, WiFi etc. through one service provider for ensuring accountability and improved customer satisfaction, it said. The Mumbai-Goa Tejas Express will have 20 coaches comprising executive class and chair cars. Catering service will be part of Tejas fares like Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains. The coaches will have automatic doors and secured gangways for all coaches, a first for the Indian Railways. Currently automatic doors are operational in Metro trains only, while gangways, corridors between coaches, are not closed from the sides. Onboard facilities will include tea and coffee vending machines, magazines and snack tables, news agency Press Trust of India said citing a senior Railway Ministry official, adding that the LCD screens meant for entertainment purpose will also be used for disseminating passenger-related information and safety instructions. Other features on Tejas coaches will include integrated braille displays, digital destination boards, and electronic passenger reservation charts. There will also be water level indicators in bio-vacuum toilets, sensorised taps and hand driers. The train's interior colour scheme will match the exterior to give the passengers a feel of world class travel. After the Mumbai-Goa route, the Tejas service is likely to be pressed on the Delhi-Chandigarh route. — PTI
