Indian Railways have cleared the second private train to be run on its tracks- Tejas express between Ahmedabad and Mumbai on January 19, 2020.
The inaugural run of this train has been proposed on January 17, 2020.
The train operator for Tejas express will be IR’s arm IRCTC (Indian Railways Catering & Tourism Corporation).
The decision was cleared by the Railway Board on December 20, 2019. However, the frequency (whether the train will run daily or on specified days of the week) of the train is not yet known.
Timings
The Tejas Express will leave Ahmedabad at 0640 hours and reach Mumbai Central at 1310. On its return leg, it will depart Mumbai Central at 1540 hours reaching Ahmedabad at 2155 hours the same day.
The Tejas express will skip Anand in both directions. It will be the only intercity train to do so between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Time slot skew
| Station /Train Number | 12934 Karnavati Express | 12932 AC Double Decker except for Sunday | 82902 Tejas Express | 22953 Gujarat Express | 22930 & 22960 /12936 combination | 12010 Shatabdi express except for Sunday |
| Ahmedabad | 0455 | 0600 | 0640 | 0700 | 1030/50 | 1445 |
| Nadiad | 0539/41 | 0640/42 | 0719/21 | 0750/52 | 1140/42 | 1522/24 |
| Anand | 0559/601 | 0700/02 | 0817/19 | 1200/02 | 1540/42 | |
| Vadodara | 0642/47 | 0743/48 | 0803/08 | 0900/05 | 1243/48 | 1618/23 |
| Bharuch | 0735/37 | 0832/34 | 0856/58 | 1001/03 | 1341/43 | 1705/07 |
| Surat | 0835/40 | 0922/27 | 0935/38 | 1110/15 | 1450/1605 | 1758/1803 |
| Vapi | 0951/53 | 1032/34 | 1055/57 | 1248/50 | 1728/30 | 1858/1900 |
| Borivali | 1146/50 | 1213/17 | 1231/33 | 1459/1502 | 1933/35 | 2032/35 |
| Mumbai Central /Bandra (T) | 1235 | 1300 | 1310 | 1555 | 2025 | 2120 |
| Station /Train Number | 22953 Gujarat Express | 12009 Shatabdi except Sunday | 12935 /22929 & 22959 combination | 12933 Karnavati express | 12931 AC Double Decker except Sunday | 82901 Tejas Express |
| Mumbai Central/Bandra (T) | 0545 | 0630 | 0650 | 1340 | 1420 | 1540 |
| Borivali | 0622/27 | 0700/03 | 0726/28 | 1412/17 | 1454/57 | 1614/16 |
| Vapi | 0843/45 | 0826/28 | 0929/31 | 1611/13 | 1627/29 | 1737/39 |
| Surat | 1023/28 | 931/36 | 1110/1330 | 1735/40 | 1755/1800 | 1847/50 |
| Bharuch | 1123/25 | 1012/14 | 1429/31 | 1824/26 | 1840/42 | 1929/31 |
| Vadodara | 1231/36 | 1103/08 | 1533/38 | 1926/31 | 1933/38 | 2018/23 |
| Anand | 1308/09 | 1136/37 | 1609/10 | 2005/07 | 2014/15 | |
| Nadiad | 1330/31 | 1154/55 | 1626/27 | 2022/24 | 2031/32 | 2103/05 |
| Ahmedabad | 1440 | 1245 | 1730/50 | 2125 | 2140 | 2155 |
Analysing the time slots for inter-city trains, the Tejas express timings further increases the skew towards Mumbai in the morning and towards Ahmedabad in the evening.
As a result, Shatabdi express remains the only direct train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in the afternoon slot. However, this train does not run on Sundays.
As a result, the Jamnagar/Hapa – Surat intercity which shares its rake with Surat -Bandra Terminus Intercity and leaves Surat for Bandra after a 75-minute halt runs overcrowded on Sundays.
WR may also need to look at resolving this issue urgently.
Photo: Rajendra Aklekar