India and Nepal restore rail links, agree on energy projects cooperation – EQ Mag Pro

The train service will criss-cross from Jaynagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Janakpur, Nepal.

The section of the railway project that runs from Madhubani district’s Jayanagar (Bihar) to Kurtha in Nepal will be extended up to Bijalpura, which is a further 17 km from Kurtha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepal counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday inaugurated the rail service between the two countries. The train between the two countries will operate from Jaynagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Janakpur.

For the convenience of passengers, 8 stations, 6 halt stations, and 47 road crossings have been constructed on this rail section connecting the two countries.

A total of 127 minor and 15 major bridges have been constructed on the newly gauged converted Jaynagar-Kurtha rail section of 34.9 km.

India- Nepal railway project: Jaynagar to Kurtha railway service. Key points

• The train service will criss-cross from Jaynagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Janakpur, Nepal.
• Jaynagar-Kurtha section is part of the 68.7 km Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardidas rail link. Jaynagar is 4KM from the India-Nepal border.
• The section of the railway project that runs from Madhubani district’s Jayanagar (Bihar) to Kurtha in Nepal will be extended up to Bijalpura, which is a further 17 km from Kurtha.
• The rail service between Jayanagar and Bijalpura in Nepal had been introduced in 1937 by the British. It was suspended in 2001 after the Nepal floods.
• According to the Kathmandu Post, India has spent around ₹10 billion to rebuild the old railway track, and the Nepal government has purchased two train sets for around Rs1 billion.
• Konkan Rail Corporation Limited (KRCL) has supplied two sets of 1600 HP DEMU passenger rakes and two operate rail services on this route. These 2 DEMU rakes have 2 AC coaches each apart from non-AC coaches. These 2 rakes were handed over to Nepal in September last year.
• This will be the first Broad Gauge passenger rail service in Nepal. Prior to this till 2014 a narrow gauge service ran between Jayanagar and Janakpur operated by Nepal. Indian Railways is extending full cooperation to Nepal in running the BG service by sharing the know-how and operations and maintenance processes with Nepal Railway Company as well as imparting training to officials from Nepal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba met and held delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Saturday. This is Prime Minister Deuba’s first bilateral visit abroad since assuming office for the fifth time in July last year.

Source: AFP