Monday, May 6, 2019

India submits pre-feasibility report of Kathmandu-Raxual railway project

India has submitted the pre-feasibility report of Kathmandu-Raxaul railway project to Nepal.
“The Indian government had submitted the report last week through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs aiming at conducting a further feasibility and detailed project report,” according to the foreign ministry.
“We have received the report and will soon forward it to Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport too,” a source at the ministry said, adding that a joint engineering team of Department of Railways (DoRW) and the consultant team of Indian Railways had started conducting the pre-feasibility study of the project on June 8 last year. “The team comprising of members of the technical teams of both the countries has recommended the project to be feasible.”
The joint team had proposed Himal Cement Factory in Chobhar of Kathmandu as a railway station.
Though the government was planning to establish a company to construct the railway, but the process is put on hold because the Indian government has promised to build the railway through its own resources. The Indian Prime Minister had – during his visit to Nepal last May – assured that the entire cost to construct the railway project from Kathmandu to Raxaul would be covered by the Indian government, including establishment of an office, pre-feasibility study, detailed feasibility study (DFS), detailed project report (DPR) and as well as construction.
The works of the feasibility and detailed feasibility study will start by next fiscal year, according to the department that has estimated the railway project to cover a total length of 113-km, of which around 20 per cent will comprise of tunnels and bridges. “The proposed route of the Kathmandu-Raxaul railway will start from Kathmandu and will pass along the Bagmati River all the way to Nijgadh extending through Birgunj to Raxaul.”
Though, a railway track connecting Birgunj to Raxaul already exists, it is yet to be used to transport passengers.

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