Shri Ramayana Express: Piyush Goyal-led Indian Railways is all set to introduce a new train service that will take tourists to special places related to Lord Ram. The new train named ‘Shri Ramayana Express’ will be introduced on November 14, 2018 and will depart from Delhi Safdarjung railway station. Shri Ramayana Express will cover all iconic destinations, which are associated with the life of Lord Shri Ram from the famous Indian epic Ramayana in 16 days under an all-inclusive IRCTC tour package. The tour will cover both India as well as 4 destinations in Sri Lanka. Here are 5 things that everyone should know about the Shri Ramayana Express train service:
1) The pilgrimage circuit, which has been named Shri Ramayana Yatra, will have two travel components – one in India and one in Sri Lanka. The train will cover many iconic destinations such as Ayodhya, Hanuman Garhi Ramkot, Janakpur, Varanasi, Nandigram, Hampi, Kanak Bhawan temple, Sitamarhi, Prayag, Shringverpur, Chitrakoot, Nasik and Rameshwaram.
2) The all-inclusive tour package of Shri Ramayana Express will cover accommodation, all meals, wash and change facilities in dharmashalas, sight-seeing arrangements, all transfers and tour manager of IRCTC who will be travelling with the tourists during the entire journey.
3) The train will have an overall capacity for 800 passengers and will charge Rs 15,120 per person. However, the Sri Lanka leg of the journey will be charged separately from passengers.
4) Passengers who wish to go for Sri Lanka leg of the Ramayana Yatra tour package can take a flight from Chennai to Colombo. At present, IRCTC offers a Sri Lanka tour package for 5-night/6-day at a cost starting from Rs 36,970 per person, covering Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Colombo and Negombo.
5) Soon, the online booking of Shri Ramayana Express train service will be available on the official website of IRCTC. Other than the IRCTC website, passengers will be able to book the train in 27 Tourist Facilitation Centres of IRCTC, spread across the nation.
From August 28, 2018, to September 9, 2018, IRCTC is also operating an AC tourist train on the Ramayana Circuit from Trivandrum offering an all-inclusive tour package starting from Rs 39,800. The tour will cover Panchavati, Chitrakoot, Shringverpur, Tulsi Manas Mandir, Darbhanga, Sita Marhi, Ayodhya and Rameshwaram.