A weekly train between Janakpur Dham in Nepal and Ayodhya in India has been approved. It links two places tied to the Ramayana, Janakpur, regarded as the birthplace of Sita, and Ayodhya, associated with the birthplace of Ram. The harder question is who gains money from it.
India’s Ministry of Railways announced the approval on November 14, 2026. The service covers about 604 kilometres and runs once a week in each direction, leaving Janakpur Dham on Saturdays and Ayodhya Cantt on Mondays.
The announced commercial stops, in order, are Jaynagar, Madhubani, Shisho, Sitamarhi, Raxaul, Narkatiaganj, Gorakhpur, Basti, Mankapur and Ayodhya Dham.
The ministry describes it as meant for pilgrims, tourists and others travelling for education, business or family reasons.
What has been tested
On November 5 an Indian special train made a trial run from Jaynagar in Bihar to Kurtha station in Janakpur, with two WDP 4D locomotives and seven coaches. Railway, security, customs and immigration officials from both countries inspected the Jaynagar–Janakpur Dham–Kurtha section. Nepal Railway Company managing director Paribesh Parajuli took part, along with Dhanusha district officials. The test looked at track compatibility, cross-border movement, security and passenger procedures.
Indian trains would operate it, with Nepal overseeing matters on its side, and the operating model and maintenance arrangements are still under discussion. India and Nepal had already discussed standard operating procedures for passenger trains on this section at their 10th Project Steering Committee and 8th Joint Working Group meetings in Kathmandu on June 11 and 12, 2026.
When it starts
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah are likely to inaugurate the service virtually on November 23. The first run would leave Ayodhya Dham and commercial trains would use Ayodhya Cantt, with regular operations expected within a week.
The Janakpur side
Janakpur is likely to be the most visible beneficiary on Nepal’s side. The Janaki Mandir draws religious visitors, and hotels, restaurants, taxis and rickshaws, guides, Mithila artists, retailers and event businesses could see more demand.
The key issue is time and spending. A pilgrim who visits the temple briefly and moves on adds little. One who stays two nights, eats locally, hires a guide and buys Mithila art adds a lot. If large pilgrim groups book through operators based outside Nepal, much of the revenue leaves the local economy.
Ayodhya and the towns on the way
Ayodhya already has a large pilgrimage economy since the Ram Temple opened in January 2024. Uttar Pradesh tourism officials report 164.4 million visitors in 2024, against 57.6 million in 2023.
Other stops could also gain. Madhubani is known for Mithila art. Sitamarhi has links to the Sita tradition. Raxaul is a major border town, and Gorakhpur is a transport and commercial centre in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Passenger numbers, how long the train stops and what fares are charged will decide whether any of them see a boom.
Nepal’s existing railway
Nepal already runs a cross-border line. The roughly 52-kilometre Jayanagar–Janakpur–Bhangaha railway opened on April 2, 2022 and was extended to Bhangaha in July 2023. In fiscal year 2023/24 it carried more than 1.5 million passengers, about 900,000 of them Nepali and more than 600,000 Indian, with more than 3,000 a day, according to Nepal Railway Company figures.
But the company has been losing money. A Nepal Rastra Bank study of Madhesh Province put ticket revenue for the middle of fiscal year 2025/26 at NPR 41.497 million against operating costs of NPR 126.601 million, a deficit of NPR 85.104 million. These figures are for the existing railway, not the new service. They raise questions about maintenance, technical staff and capacity. The study listed needs for maintenance centres, workshops, fuel storage, washing bays, signalling and skilled Nepali staff.
