By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Travelers between Patna and Nepal are in for good news, as a new train service has been approved to operate from Patliputra to Janakpur (Nepal). The Railway Board has given the green light for the Darbhanga-Patliputra MEMU Express, an eight-coach train, which will run daily from Patliputra Junction to Darbhanga via Sonepur, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, and Janakpur. This will be the first direct train service from Patna to Nepal.
According to the approved schedule, the train will depart from Patliputra station daily at 7:30 pm, reaching Janakpur at 12:05 am and Darbhanga at 12:55 am. The return journey will start from Darbhanga Junction at 3:00 am, with the train arriving back at Patliputra Junction by 8:00 am. The Railway Board is still finalizing the date of the train’s commencement.
This new service is a result of a proposal by Dr. Amit Kumar, a physician and social worker, who advocated for a MEMU Express train on this route. His proposal was sent to the East Central Railway Zone, which subsequently forwarded it to the Railway Board for approval.
In addition, on the occasion of Shravani Mela, the East Central Railway is running special trains for devotees. A special Shravani Mela train will operate between Gondia and Bhagalpur. It will depart from Gondia at 11:20 am on August 9, reaching Bhagalpur at 12:35 pm the next day, with stops at Jasidih, Sultanganj, and other stations. The return journey from Bhagalpur will begin at 1:35 pm on August 10, with the train arriving back in Gondia at 4:20 pm the following day.
The author is a Patna based journalist
