New Delhi, Aug 11: Government has decided to implement a Rs 324.66 crore rail project to link all Buddhist pilgrim Centres and promote tourism. The major rail project to be implemented in eight years was approved by the union cabinet today to link all major Buddhist shrines across the country, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told reporters here. To bridge the missing link, a 32.5 km rail route between Hajipur and Sagauli (via Vaishali) would be constructed in the next five years, she said.

The whole 148 km stretch would be completed in eight years, she said.
With the construction of the rail link along with an upcoming bridge over the Ganga in Patna, the Buddhist circut would constitute Sagauli to Sarnath via Vaishali, Rajgir and Gaya which would also give a boost to tourism in the region, Swaraj said. Bureaub Report