Indian Railways has approved the introduction of a new weekly train service between Janakpur Dham in Nepal and Ayodhya in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, in a move aimed at strengthening cross-border connectivity and religious tourism.

According to a press statement issued by India's Press Information Bureau, the service will establish a direct rail link between two destinations deeply associated with the Ramayana tradition—Janakpur Dham, revered as the birthplace of Sita, and Ayodhya, regarded as the birthplace of Ram.

The initiative is expected to improve access for passengers from both countries to these prominent religious and cultural centres while reinforcing their shared cultural and historical heritage, the statement said.

Covering approximately 604 kilometres, the weekly service will connect Janakpur Dham with Ayodhya Cantt, passing through several important towns and cities in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

The train will make commercial stops at Jaynagar, Madhubani, Shisho, Sitamarhi, Raxaul, Narkatiaganj, Gorakhpur, Basti, Mankapur and Ayodhya Dham, besides its terminal stations.

The service will operate once a week, departing from Janakpur Dham on Saturdays and from Ayodhya Cantt on Mondays. The Indian Railway Board is yet to announce departure timings, ticket fares and the date when regular commercial operations will begin.

The new service is expected to make cross-border travel more convenient for pilgrims, tourists and other passengers. It will facilitate religious journeys between Janakpur and Ayodhya, promote tourism circuits associated with the Ramayana and improve mobility for people travelling for education, business and family-related purposes.

Improved rail access is also expected to benefit local economies along the route by creating opportunities for tourism operators, hospitality businesses, local traders and traditional artisans.

For communities in the border regions of Nepal and Bihar, the service will provide an additional passenger transport option and strengthen economic and social ties, according to the statement.

"India and Nepal share centuries-old cultural, historical and social bonds, with religious traditions and cross-border community relationships forming an integral part of this partnership. The new train service will add another dimension to bilateral cooperation by using railway connectivity to bring communities closer," the statement said.

In July 2023, Nepal and India inaugurated railway services along the Kurtha-Bijalpura section of the Jayanagar-Bijalpura railway, bringing the cross-border service into operation after a gap of nearly two decades.

The Kurtha-Bijalpura section was constructed by Indian Railway Construction International Limited, which handed over the railway line to Nepal Railway Company Limited on June 1, 2023.

The 69-km Jayanagar-Janakpur-Bardibas railway was being built at a cost of Rs10 billion with support from the Indian government. Indian Railway Construction International Limited constructed the line in three phases: Jayanagar to Kurtha, Kurtha to Bhangaha and Bhangaha to Bardibas.

Construction of the Bhangaha-Bardibas section, however, remains stalled due to disputes over compensation for land acquired for the railway.

The Jayanagar-Janakpur-Bijalpura railway line was originally built about eight decades ago, when India was still under British colonial rule, to transport timber from the forests of Mahottari to India.

The railway then spanned 52 kilometres, connecting Bijulpura in Mahottari district of Nepal with Jayanagar in Bihar, India.