This was one of the trains proposed in Railway Budget 2014

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Thursday flag off a train, Rameswaram-Faizabad weekly express, that would connect the two pilgrimage centres of Rameswaram and Ayodhya.

This was one of the trains proposed in Railway Budget 2014 to connect Rameswaram with tourist and pilgrimage centres like Bengaluru, Chennai, Ayodhya, Varanasi and Haridwar. Rameswaram-Varanasi train has already been introduced.

Mr. Modi will be in Rameswaram to inaugurate the memorial of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on his second death anniversary.

He will flag off the inaugural train through video-conferencing.

The train would connect six States – Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The inaugural train of the weekly express would leave Rameswaram at 12.30 p.m. and reach Faizabad at 11 p.m. on Saturday.

Regular service

However, the regular service of Train No. 16793/16794 Rameswaram-Faizabad-Rameswaram will commence on August 2 (Wednesday) from Faizabad and on August 8 (Sunday) from Rameswaram.

It would run with a diesel locomotive between Rameswaram and Chennai Egmore and run on electric traction from Chennai to Faizabad.

The new train will connect south Tamil Nadu with important stations like Vijayawada, Jabalpur and Allahabad.

“Though it is run as a train to connect pilgrimage centres, it would get better patronage if it is run through Madurai. Already, Rameswaram- Varanasi train is run on the same route without touching Madurai,” senior president of Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries S. Rethnivelu said.

Madurai was also an important destination for people from the north, he said.

“They can visit Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, and three of the six abodes of Lord Muruga, including Palani in Dindigul district and Tirupparankundram in Madurai district, if the train was run through Madurai,” Mr. Rethnivelu said.

Besides, it would help more passengers from the south get direct connectivity to Ayodhya and also help businessmen go to Vijayawada, Jabalpur and Allahabad, he said.