When it comes to booking train tickets in India for a quick weekend trip or a business trip, you are bound to see two names that always appear at the top of the list on IRCTC: Vande Bharat Express and Tejas Express.
Both are high speed trains and they are high standard trains as they have air-conditioning facilities and they are semi-high speed trains which help to reduce the travel time between two major cities of India.
Even though both Vande Bharat Express and Tejas Express are comparatively faster and more comfortable, but which is the better option for speedy travel and saving time??
Vande Bharat Express vs Tejas Express
Speed & Time-Saver Gauge
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Vande Bharat Express: Self-propelled Trainset (No separate locomotive needed). 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in just 52 seconds.
Tejas Express: LHB Coach Train Attached to Locos. Frequent fast train speed-up.
Therefore, Vande Bharat Express (Saves up to 30 minutes or 60 minutes on average for the same distance because of quicker pick up and deceleration.
Seating Comfort:
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Rotating seats in Executive Class on Vande Bharat; individual seat entertainment screens / comfortable reclining seats on Tejas.
Booking Portal:
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Both are offered by the official Indian Railways / IRCTC website (https://www.irctc.co.in/nget/train-search).
Speed and Acceleration: How Much Time Do You Save?
Both the train, Vande Bharat Express and the Tejas Express, are known for their speed and acceleration, but which one will save your time?
Vande Bharat Express (Train-18 Technology)
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The first indigenous semi-high-speed train with Vande Bharat locomotive was built at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Chennai. Does not have its own engine in front pulling coaches behind. Rather, each of the second set of coaches is motorized like a Metro train.
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Top Tested Acceleration: 10.60 s
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Time to Operate Speed Limit: depending on track safety conditions 130 km/h to 160 km/h
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Pickup Power: Excellent! Quickly accelerates and decelerates from stations and curves and signals.
Tejas Express
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The engines are traditional electric engines and the coaches are modern LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) coaches.
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Maximum speed: 200 km/h (top tested)
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Safety: 130 km/h
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Pickup power: Normal acceleration after a stop, which is slower to get to top speed.
So, Vande Bharat has the ability to accelerate after each stop/signal delay to 130 km/h on a route where both trains are permitted to run at the same speed.
On-Board Experience and Features
Features of Vande Bharat Express:
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Automatic Doors: Touchless plug doors that close automatically before the train comes into operation.
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Seating: 180-degree rotating seats in the Executive Chair Car (EC) for travelling either forward or facing your family.
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Wide panoramic glass windows (motorised on windows) with views.
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Sanitation: Bio-vacuum toilet, touch-free sensory water tap, hand dryers.
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Safety: KAVACH is Indian Railways' indigenous Automatic Train Protection system fitted to it, and CCTV monitoring is provided.
Features of Tejas Express:
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Infotainment: Personal LCD entertainment systems behind seats on certain routes (like in an airplane).
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Automatic Doors & Venetian Blinds: Smart window blinds and automatic entrance doors.
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Catering: Quality food provided by IRCTC: Vending of tea/coffee is available on board.
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Passenger Care: IRCTC gives travel insurance cover and door-to-door luggage collection on Tejas trains operated by it like Lucknow-Delhi or Ahmedabad-Mumbai.
Vande Bharat Express vs Tejas Express: Here is the comparison table
Vande Bharat Express & Tejas Express have been compared on the following table.
Below are listed a few features with their respective specifications as per the official Indian Railways data:
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Feature
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Vande Bharat Express
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Tejas Express
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Train Type
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Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) / Self-Propelled
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Locomotive-hauled LHB Rake
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Max Permissible Speed
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Up to 160 km/h
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Up to 130 km/h
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Acceleration (0–100 km/h)
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~52 seconds (Extremely fast)
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~2 to 3 minutes (Standard)
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Seating Classes
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Chair Car (CC) & Executive Class (EC)
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AC Chair Car (CC) & Executive Class (EC)
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Rotating Seats
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Yes (in Executive Class)
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No
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Personal TV Screens
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No (Central GPS info screens used)
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Yes (On select older rakes)
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Primary Operator
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Indian Railways
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Indian Railways & IRCTC
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Punctuality & Time Saved
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Highest (Minimal delay due to fast pickup)
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High
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Ticket Fare and Catering
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Vande Bharat Express: All food charges are included in the fare; but can be opted out during booking on IRCTC if one does not need food. It is faster for the same fare, and with a modern technology, compared to Shatabdi Express.
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Tejas Express: The ticket price is typically 20-30% higher than that of the regular Shatabdi trains. Dynamic pricing is applicable on IRCTC corporate travel and ticket price increases as seats fill up.
Which One Should You Pick?
If the primary concern is to save maximum time to travel, enjoy smooth riding comfort without jerks, panoramic outdoor views and experience modern Indian train technology, then choose Vande Bharat Express.
If you wish to travel in a relaxed atmosphere, enjoy personal seat screen entertainment, have a good on-board catering service or you do not find Vande Bharat available on your route, you can go for Tejas Express.