Tejas, fastest train between Mumbai and Goa, flagged off
Vacuum bio-toilets, infotainment screens for each passenger and automatic doors — this is just a smattering of what you will find aboard the fastest train between Mumbai to Goa, which was flagged off on Monday.
The Tejas Express — India’s first semi-high speed, fully airconditioned — was flagged off by railway minister Suresh Prabhu from CST for Goa on Monday.
Capable of running at 200kmph, the train is the fastest so far on the Mumbai-Goa route and will take less than 8 hours and 30 minutes to reach its destination. Despite starting from CST, the train will reach Goa faster as compared to other trains — most of which start from Panvel. Travel time will be reduced by at least 30 minutes on the route. Services will officially begin from Wednesday.
The train will run on the Mumbai-Goa route five days of the week — Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday — during the non-monsoon period.
It will leave from Mumbai at 5am and reach Goa at 1.30pm. From Goa, it will leave at 2.30pm and reach Mumbai at 11pm.
During the monsoon — between June 10 and October 31 — it will be operated only Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
The comfort, however, comes at a price. An executive chair car on a Karmali-bound trip costs ₹2,590 costs more than an airplane ticket to Goa, which if booked in advance costs ₹2,000, said Mumbai railway officials. On-board catering service charges are included in the fare.