Raxaul-Kathmandu rail line gains momentum

India and Nepal have recently agreed to initiate work on the Raxaul-Kathmandu rail line for which a team of Indian authorities has already conducted the first round of survey to connect the Indian rail with Kathmandu. The Nepali side appreciated the Indian government’s support in the development of the India-Nepal Cross Border Rail Links to enhance people-to-people linkage and promote economic growth and development in the region. The Indian officials also committed to expeditiously resolve all the outstanding issues including making available required land for the completion of the ongoing rail link projects. Both sides agreed to put concerted efforts in resolving all the issues expeditiously for completion of the railway lines from Jayanagar to Janakpur-Kurtha and also from Jogbani to Biratnagar Customs Yard by the October 2018 timeline. Apart from Raxual-Kathmandu railway line, India has already started building five cross-border railway lines while another railway line Jayanagar to Janakpur-Kurtha is about to complete within a year and they also agreed to take forward work in the remaining stretches of the two rail projects from Kurtha-Bijalpura-Bardibas and from Biratnagar Customs Yard-Biratnagar sections on priority basis.