IRCTC’s Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express, Railways’ First Privately Run Train, Earns Rs 70 Lakh Profit In Just One Month

In a major success for the Indian Railway’s attempt to introduce private trains on its dense and wide pan-India network, the India Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation-run first ever privatised Tejas Express between Delhi and Lucknow has been reported to have registered an impressive profit of Rs 70 lakh till October, reports Economic Times.

The first ever privatised train in India which is managed by IRCTC is a part of a bigger bid by the Railways to elevate as many as 50 railway stations to the world-class standards with engagement of the private sector, while also introducing as many as 150 privately-run and managed trains on the network.

The train has run with an average occupancy of 80-85 per cent since it began operations on 5 October, the sources were cited in the report as saying.

From 5 October to 28 October (21 days, as the train runs six days a week), the expenditure incurred by IRCTC in running the train was around Rs 3 crore.

The Tejas Express is said to have generated a remarkable revenue to the tune of as much as Rs 3.7 crore through sale of tickets alone till October, while the expenditure incurred by the IRCTC to run the train was around Rs 3 crore.

It should be noted that the feature-rich train has been a major hit among the passengers, with the train registering an occupancy of 80-85 per cent at an average.