Railway decides to run Lucknow-Delhi Shatabdi Express by private players

New Delhi (Urban Transport News): Under its 100-day agenda, the Indian Railways has decided to run Lucknow-Delhi Shatabdi Express - the first premium train by private operators. This train will be run between Lucknow and New Delhi. New time table for the running of the Shatabdi Express between the aforesaid route has also been decided by the Indian Railways.

The train will depart from New Delhi at 4.30 pm and reach Lucknow at 10.45 pm, while in the down direction the train will depart from Lucknow at 6.10am and reach New Delhi at 12.45 pm. However, the train will be run on dynamic fare mode. The train services at the above-mentioned routes are expected to be commenced either from the last week of September or from the first week of October.

As a pilot project, the train will be operated by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on lease basis which will also do parcel bookings. IRCTC will also look after the ticket booking, onboard food, onboard passengers' convenience, revenue earned through advertisement and other commercial activities. It is worth mentioning here that Tejas Express, which is running between Lucknow and New Delhi, was the first train to be given to the private player for its operations.

The railways is also planning to handover Ahmedabad-Mumbai Tejas Train to IRCTC for private operations. Sources said that the trains will be uniquely numbered and operated by operating staff of Indian Railways. The Railway will deploy its Loco pilots, guards, and station masters for the smooth operation of the train. The Indian Railways will handover these trains to the IRCTC for a period of three years as a pilot project and no concessions, privileges or duty passes will be allowed on these trains. The services of these trains will be at par with Shatabdi Express trains.