New Delhi: The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is planning to introduce a host of new services for its upcoming Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express like luggage ferried from their homes to seats at a cost, even exclusive lounges to relax and also free rail travel insurance worth Rs 25 lakh.
The IRCTC in a statement on Thursday said that passengers of IRCTC's Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will get free Rs 25 lakh rail travel insurance while they will also be given the facility of using retiring rooms at Lucknow junction station and executive lounge at New Delhi Railway Station and lounge for meetings on demand.
It said that it was planning to extend the facility of collecting passengers' baggage from their homes and deliver to them in the train on their seats and then again from their seats to their destination stay point on payment.
"This is to ensure that passengers can travel without being concerned about their luggage. All the luggage will be insured," it said.
The IRCTC said that it will also extend the facilities of taxi hiring, hotel bookings etc on payment to such passengers who need it.
It said that no concessions, privileges or duty passes will be allowed on these trains. Children above the age of 5 will be charged full fare.
"There will be no facility of 'tatkal'. Five seats each will be reserved for foreign tourists in Executive Class and AC Chair car," it said.
The new Delhi-Lucknow and Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Express will be the first train of the Indian Railways that will be fully run by its subsidiary IRCTC.
The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express is scheduled to start its journey from October this year, while the services of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Express will be started in November.
The IRCTC said that the Delhi-Lucknow Tejas fares will be dynamic -- they will be decided based on peak or lean season, festival season or according to the demand.
The train will also have group ticket booking facility on a "first-come, first-serve" basis.
Unlike the 120-day advance booking allowed across the railway network, the IRCTC's train will allow such booking 60 days prior to the day of journey.
It also said that just like flights, meals will be served by on-board service staff on trolleys. "Tea and coffee vending machines will be available in the Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express. Water will be provided on demand through RO machines for passengers," it said.
The IRCTC said that the Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will run six days a week, except Tuesdays.
The train is likely to start from Delhi at 4.30 p.m. and reach Lucknow at 10.45 p.m.
The IRCTC said that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Express will run six days a week, except Thursdays. The train is likely to depart from Ahmedabad at 6.40 a.m. and reach Mumbai at 1.15 p.m. and on its return journey it will depart from Mumbai at 3.40 p.m. and reach Ahmedabad at 10.25 p.m.