Nepal Requests India's Support for Raxaul-Kathmandu Railway Project
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Synopsis
Nepal is seeking India's financial and technical assistance for the Raxaul-Kathmandu railway project, which spans 141km. This initiative aims to enhance connectivity between the Indian border and Kathmandu, reflecting the ongoing collaboration between the two nations in the railway sector.
Key Takeaways
- Nepal requests India's assistance on Raxaul-Kathmandu railway
- Focus on financial viability and technical guidance
- Recent meetings held in New Delhi
- Emphasis on cross-border railway connectivity
- Plans for future railway collaborations
Kathmandu, March 7 (NationPress) Nepal has formally requested India's financial, economic, and technical guidance regarding the feasibility of the 141km Raxaul-Kathmandu railway line, which aims to create a direct connection between the Indian border city and the capital of Nepal.
Recently, India and Nepal conducted the 9th Project Steering Committee (PSC) and the 7th Joint Working Group (JWG) sessions on February 27-28 in New Delhi to assess the progress of existing cross-border railway connections and the broader cooperation between the two nations in the railway sector.
Sushil Babu Dhakal, who is the Joint Secretary at Nepal's Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transportation and led the visiting delegation during the meetings, informed local media in Kathmandu on Friday that Nepal is now looking for India's perspective on the project's feasibility due to worries over low financial returns and a proposed 25-year payback period.
"We are at an early stage in constructing the railway and have limited knowledge about it... Additionally, we are also building an expressway to connect Kathmandu with the southern plains, which is why we have sought technical insights from the Indian side," Dhakal shared with Nepal's leading daily, The Kathmandu Post.
During the discussions held in New Delhi, the Final Location Survey (FLS) Report for the Raxaul-Kathmandu Broad Gauge Railway Link, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for initiating passenger train services on the Janakpur-Ayodhya segment, and further railway connections were also on the agenda.
The Indian delegation was led by Rohit Rathish, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), along with Pradeep Ojha, Executive Director, Traffic Transportation-Freight at the Ministry of Railways.
Dhakal stated, "The Indian side emphasized the importance of linking the existing cross-border railway from Janakpur city in Nepal to Ayodhya, especially since over 100 million visitors went to Ayodhya last year, and even a small percentage of them visiting Janakpur would be significant."
Both parties also reviewed ongoing projects pertaining to the Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas and Jogbani-Biratnagar broad gauge railway lines, which are being developed with the financial assistance of the Government of India.
"The readiness for initiating work on the remaining segments of the two railway lines, namely from Bijalpura to Bardibas on Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas and from Nepal Custom Yard to Biratnagar on Jogbani-Biratnagar, was also evaluated. The Nepali side assured that they would provide the necessary support for the prompt initiation and completion of the work on these railway sections," a statement from the MEA indicated earlier this week.
It was noted that both nations agreed to bolster technical collaboration in areas such as capacity building, logistical support, and training for Nepali railway staff.
In a bid to enhance connectivity, foster people-to-people ties, and stimulate economic growth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepali counterpart KP Sharma Oli had in 2018 consented to the construction of a new electrified railway line with India's financial backing, connecting Raxaul in India to Kathmandu in Nepal.
As an initial step, it was agreed that the Government of India would conduct preparatory surveys within a year, in consultation with the Government of Nepal, and that both sides would finalize the implementation and funding strategies based on the Detailed Project Report. The Prime Minister of Nepal assured that his government would extend full cooperation to expedite the necessary surveys for the new railway line.
