NEW DELHI: Soon Indian pilgrims will be able to take a train to visit Janakpur in Nepal. The tourism and catering subsidiary of railways, IRCTC is likely to run the fourth Shri Ramayan Yatra Express by this month-end which will go up to Janakpur. It is believed that Goddess Sita was born here and Lord Ram married her at this place. The city has more than 70 ponds and is also known as the City of Ponds.
This will also be the first cross-border tourist train.
The planning for this special tourist train started barely weeks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba flagged off a cross-border railway between Jaynagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal to improve ties between the two countries. Kurtha is barely 9 km away from Janakpur. This is the first broad gauge passenger rail service in Nepal.
In October last year, the Indian government handed over the cross-border rail link to the Nepal government. The rail line has been laid with a grant assistance of Rs 548 crore from the Indian government.
Sources said the more than 20-day trip of Shri Ramayan Yatra Express will cover destinations linked to Lord Ram and Ramayan including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Chitrakoot, Sitamarhi, Janakpur, Nasik, Hampi and Rameswaram. They added the train can accommodate around 160 passengers and all the coaches will be of first and second class AC.
The earlier such trains had adequate security arrangements on the train, along with a tour manager and guide to provide all information to the passengers onboard.
This will also be the first cross-border tourist train.
The planning for this special tourist train started barely weeks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba flagged off a cross-border railway between Jaynagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal to improve ties between the two countries. Kurtha is barely 9 km away from Janakpur. This is the first broad gauge passenger rail service in Nepal.
In October last year, the Indian government handed over the cross-border rail link to the Nepal government. The rail line has been laid with a grant assistance of Rs 548 crore from the Indian government.
Sources said the more than 20-day trip of Shri Ramayan Yatra Express will cover destinations linked to Lord Ram and Ramayan including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Chitrakoot, Sitamarhi, Janakpur, Nasik, Hampi and Rameswaram. They added the train can accommodate around 160 passengers and all the coaches will be of first and second class AC.
The earlier such trains had adequate security arrangements on the train, along with a tour manager and guide to provide all information to the passengers onboard.