Earphones stolen, screens damaged
MUMBAI: The first trip of Tejas Express, the high-speed train from Mumbai to Goa, started amid much fanfare but the train came back with fewer headphones, damaged infotainment screens and waste all over.
The train was flagged off from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus on Monday and returned from Goa on Tuesday.
Though railway officials had anticipated this, the extent of damage has left them shocked. They now plan to appeal to passengers to avoid damaging the train.
Capable of running at a speed of 200 kmph, the Tejas Express has several unique features such as automatic doors, 9-inch infotainment screens for each seat, tea-coffee vending machines, vacuum bio-toilets, touch-free water taps in toilet and secured gangway. At least 12 of the high-quality headphones provided for the screens are missing, said railway sources. Some screens were found scratched. A passenger, who travelled on the second day, said it was not properly cleaned. “Toilets too were unclean. Attendants were ignorant. The food was not as good as during the inaugural run,” he said.
A journey from Mumbai to Karmali in an AC chair-car seat costs ₹1,190, while executive chair-car seat costs ₹2,590. A journey from Mumbai to Ratnagiri on AC chair car seat costs ₹835, while executive seat costs ₹1,785. The train will run on the Mumbai-Goa route on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the nonmonsoon period. It will leave from Mumbai at 5am and reach Goa at 1.30pm. The train will then start from Goa at 2.30pm and reach Mumbai at 1pm.