Halting of Tejas Express raises doubts on viability of private trains

70% occupancy on each trip required to run private trains without losses; industry says Tejas setback temporary

At a time when the auction for private trains is entering the stage of domestic companies getting short-listed, the prototypes of these private trains run by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) are halting operations due to low occupancy.
 

IRCTC has said the Lucknow-New Delhi Tejas Express will suspend operations from November 23 and the one on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai line will remain cancelled from November 24.
 

This has raised doubts among players on whether the upcoming private trains will be viable because it requires at least 70 per cent occupancy on each trip to run without losses though