Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express was the first ‘private train’ to run in the country.

The Railways started the process to allow private players to operate certain trains on its network.The Ministry of Railways said this is the first initiative for private investment in running passenger trains over the Railways network, and will attract investments of about ₹30,000 crore.the objective of the initiative was to introduce modern technology rolling stock with reduced maintenance, reduce transit time, boost job creation, provide enhanced safety, provide world class travel experience to passengers, and also reduce demand supply deficit in the passenger transportation sector.
The Delhi-Lucknow Tejas is the first train that is not operated by the Indian Railways, as Railways geared up to allow private train operators. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), which is a public sector undertaking, was entrusted with running the train, in addition to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas and the Kashi Mahakal Express (between Varanasi and Indore).