Kerala's First Aastha Special Train To Ayodhya Flagged Off From Kochuveli Railway Station

The railways had announced that bookings for Aastha trains could not be made at railway station counters or through IRCTC apps.

The first 'Aastha special train' bound for Ayodhya from Kerala was flagged off from Kochuveli railway station at 10 AM on Friday. These special trains facilitate the journey of devotees from various regions to Ayodhya following the Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony held last month.

According to ANI, The first 'Aastha special train' from Thiruvananthapuram to Ayodhya Dham was flagged off today from Kerala's Kochuveli railway station.

The railways had announced that bookings for Aastha trains could not be made at railway station counters or through IRCTC apps. The IRCTC tourism website was designated for this purpose. The railways scheduled 66 Aastha Special services to operate nationwide.

Earlier, Union Minister Anurag Thakur flagged off the Aastha special train for Ayodhya Dham from Amb Andaura railway station in Una district of Himachal Pradesh. He highlighted the significant influx of Ram devotees worldwide who are eager to visit the Ram temple constructed in Ayodhya.

A passenger of 'Aastha Special' train to Ayodhya from Jaipur said, "I am here to meet Lord Ram in his new palace in Ayodhya. All the arrangements are excellently done by the Railways Department." 

Meanwhile, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) initiated the Ramayana Yatra program, operating its advanced Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist train. The inaugural journey commenced on February 4, 2024, offering a tour to Nepal that links Ayodhya, appealing to spiritual seekers interested in the life events of Ram. The "Shri Ramayan Yatra" tour, tailored for NRI tourists from the UK & Portugal, departed from Delhi Safdarjung Railway station on February 4 via the Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC tourist train.