KATHMANDU: Meetings of Joint Working Group and Project Steering Committee on India-Nepal cross-border railway links held in New Delhi

KATHMANDU: India and Nepal held the 5th
Joint Working Group (JWG) and the 7th Project Steering Committee (PSC) meetings
from 6-7 October 2021 in New Delhi, to review implementation of ongoing
cross-border railway links and overall bilateral cooperation in the railway
sector. On the Indian side, JWG was led by Dr. Manoj Singh, Executive Director
(Traffic Transportation-Freight), Ministry of Railways, and PSC by Sh. Anurag
Bhushan, Joint Secretary, DPA-III Ministry of External Affairs; the Nepali side
was led by Mr. Keshab Kumar Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Physical
Infrastructure and Transport, for both meetings.

Both sides signed the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for start of
passenger train services on the Jaynagar-Kurtha section and the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) for Final Location Survey (FLS) of the proposed broad gauge
railway line between Raxaul and Kathmandu.

The SOPs
provide the technical aspects of running passenger trains on the new section
and will serve as a guiding document for early start of rail services in the
upcoming cross-border railway links with Nepal. The proposed Raxaul-Kathmandu
broad gauge railway line will further boost connectivity between India and
Nepal.

Both sides discussed the ongoing works of Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas and
Jogbani-Biratnagar broad gauge railway lines between India and Nepal, being
developed with grant assistance from Government of India. The technical
preparedness of the completed 34 km long section of the railway line, from
Jaynagar (India) to Kurtha (Nepal) for operationalization of passenger train
services was also reviewed.

Nepali
side also informed that necessary regulatory framework will be put in place to
facilitate early operationalization. For Kurtha to Bilajpura (17.25 km) section
of the railway line, Nepal side assured to provide necessary facilitation for
completion of the work at the earliest.

Both sides also agreed to expedite the work on
completion of the 18.6 km long Jogbani-Biratnagar rail link, and its early
operationalization.

The progress on Raxaul-Kathmandu Broad Gauge Railway Link and Phase-II railway
link projects were also discussed. Both sides agreed to enhance technical
cooperation in the railway sector, including in the areas of capacity building,
logistic support and training of Nepali railway personnel.