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Showing posts with label India-Nepal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India-Nepal. Show all posts

Tuesday, 5 April 2022

07:23

Indo -Nepal Rail Connectivity to Enhance Trade and Commerce Activities

Indo -Nepal Rail Connectivity to Enhance Trade and Commerce Activities

The Government of India & The Government of Nepal  in a move to strengthen the Indo - Nepal connectivity, enhance trade and commerce activities commissioned the Jaynagar (Bihar - India) – Kurtha (Nepal) section of Rail link.

Government of Nepal has formed Nepal Railway Company Limited (NRCL) which has been given the onus of operations & maintenance of train services and Railway system in Jaynagar- Kurtha section. Nepal Railway Company Limited has awarded the contract for starting train operations in Jayanagar - Kurtha to Konkan Railway.

Under the able leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister  and the guidance of the Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Konkan Railway has been successful in delivering Two 5 Car DEMU Train sets to Nepal Railway Company Limited as well as commence the operationalization of the cross-border rail link between Jaynagar (India) and Kurtha (Nepal) from 02-04-2022 (today) after the inaugural run on this section.

The initial passenger services will start with Two 5 Car DEMU Train sets which have been supplied by Konkan Railway to the Government of Nepal against supply  contract awarded to KRCL with funding provided by the Government of Nepal. These rakes are manufactured by Integral Coach Factory, Chennai and have many modern features.

Each 5 car DEMU train set has 1600 HP propulsion and other advanced features such as one air-conditioned coach, electronic fuel injection, microprocessor based AC-AC traction, pneumatic suspension and toilets. The Government of Nepal finalized the color scheme of these train sets based on the National flag of Nepal.

Nepal Railway Company Ltd. has engaged Konkan Railway Corporation Limited, for initial hand holding and to provide Operations & Maintenance support for a period of one year.

As part of this agreement, Konkan Railway will undertake operations & maintenance of trainsets, provide training to the Employees of Nepal Railway, supply of 26 expert manpower and minimum equipment, create basic systems for Railway Operations and provide technical support for maintenance of track and signalling systems

The joint working of Nepal Railway Company with Konkan Railway under support from The Government of India and The Government of Nepal will help Nepal to build a robust Railway system and will help in strengthening the relationships between the two countries.

Konkan Railway is happy and privileged to work with the Department of Railways and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Nepal and be a part of India’s efforts to have good relations with its neighbours.

Source:Konkan Railway

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Tuesday, 4 February 2020

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Saturday, 8 September 2018

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Thursday, 26 May 2016

22:39

China eyeing rail network to Bihar in India through Nepal

China eyeing rail network to Bihar in India through Nepal

A train from Beijing to Bihar? China wants to extend its Nepal rail link to India

Beijing: Having already expanded its influence in Nepal with road and rail links through Tibet, China is looking to stretch its rail network to Bihar.

The move is a bid to improve connectivity with India and South Asia, as reported by state-run Chinese media on Tuesday.

Reports suggest that a cross-border railway link to the Rasuwagadhi area in Nepal has already been discussed by the two countries, with the rail expected to reach the Nepal border by 2020.

This rail line will allow China to have quick access to India as Birgunj, which borders Bihar is only 240 km away from Rasuwagadhi, the article said. For Bihar, trade with China through the rail link will be easier along the route than through Kolkata, saving time, cost and distance, it said.

“The railroad connection to China not only is important for Nepal and Nepalese people’s future development, but also has the capacity to build connectivity with the whole of South Asia. The government of Nepal has the chance to make history,” the article said. Bihar’s Rasuwagadhi border point is a reasonable distance from Kathmandu but the district is a very popular site for tourists, thanks to its pilgrimage routes. As it is not very densely populated, empty land is available.

A cross-border railroad link to the Rasuwagadhi area in Nepal has already been discussed between the two countries.

Key Notes:
  1. China’s railroad is expected to reach Nepal border by 2020, an article in the state-run Global Times said
  2. This rail line makes it possible to connect China to India as the distance from Rasuwagadhi to Birgunj, which borders Bihar is only 240 km.
  3. For Bihar, trade with China through the rail link will be easier along this route than through Kolkata, saving time, cost and distance.
  4. The railroad connection to China is not only important for Nepal and Nepalese people’s future development, but also has the capacity to build connectivity with the whole of South Asia. The government of Nepal has the chance to make history.
  5. It also criticised attempts to block major projects in Nepal
  6. Unfortunately due to oversensitivity, some major projects were aborted before even a brick was laid. So the Nepali government must play a key role in bringing all the stakeholders into a sufficient consensus.

This rail line makes it possible to connect China to India as from Rasuwagadhi to Birgunj, which borders Bihar is only 240 km, the article said.

For Bihar, trade with China through the rail link will be easier along this route than through Kolkata, saving time, cost and distance, it said.

“The railroad connection to China not only is important for Nepal and Nepalese people’s future development, but also has the capacity to build connectivity with the whole of South Asia. The government of Nepal has the chance to make history,” the article said. It also criticised attempts to block major projects in Nepal.

“Challenge is both internal and external stakeholders’ sensitivity about mega infrastructure projects. Unfortunately due to oversensitivity, some major projects were aborted before even a brick was laid. So the Nepali government must play a key role in  bringing all the stakeholders into a sufficient consensus,” it said.

While rail and road links with Nepal were regarded strategic for China to blunt India’s influence in the country, analysts said the development of most expansive infrastructure through the rugged Himalayan mountains is viable only if they get connected to India.

India, China bilateral trade currently hovers around USD 70 billion with over USD 48 billion trade deficit in favour of Beijing.

Early this month, in a strategic move to cut landlocked  Nepal’s dependence on India, China opened a combined road and rail service to Kathmandu through the rugged mountain ranges in Tibet to step up transportation of supplies to the Himalayan country.

An international freight train from Lanzhou, the capital city of northwestern China’s Gansu province has been operationalised.

The train will carry the cargo to Xigaze, the nearest Tibetan town close to Nepal from where the goods will be transported to the Nepal by road. The whole journey will take 10 days.

It includes 2,431 kms of rail transport 564 km of road transport to Geelong Port in Nepal. From there it will take another 160 km of road transport to reach Nepal’s capital Kathmandu. Altogether, the combined transport takes 35 days fewer than traditional ocean transport, the report said.

The combined rail and road service has been started as a follow up to Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to Beijing in March during which the two countries signed the landmark transit treaty for Nepal to access supplies from China through the arduous route of Tibet.

Chinese officials said Beijing has also agreed to extend the rail link in Xigaze to Nepal border, which will enable Kathmandu to access growing rail and road infrastructure in Tibet.

The Oli government was keen on opening up new routes with China including access to its port Guangzhou to reduce dependence on India in the aftermath of the blockade along the Indian border imposed by Madhesis in Nepal to express their resentment against the new constitution, analysts say

Source:RailNews
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Sunday, 26 July 2015

08:16

Bangladesh and Nepal Railway Connectivity Projects status

Indo-Bangla and Indo-Nepal Rail Projects

MoU for Indo-Bangla Railway connectivity project viz. Agartala-Akhaura new Broad Gauge line (15.06 Km) was signed on 16.02.2013 between Government of India and Government of Bangladesh. About 5 Km length of the project falls in India & 10 Km falls in Bangladesh. Final Location Survey for both Indian as well as Bangladesh portions has been completed. Project is at standstill because of sharp increase in cost of land for the sections in India. In order to reduce the requirement of land, proposal for construction of 3.7 Km railway line on viaduct has been submitted to the State Government of Tripura.

No time lines have been fixed for completion of the project and running train for passenger traffic as the project is in initial stages.

Two projects for Indo-Nepal connectivity have been taken up. The status of these two projects is as detailed below:-

(i) Jogbani-Biratnagar (Nepal)(18.60 Km) new line project:- 5.45 Km length falls in India & 13.60 km falls in Nepal. Land for the entire project, except for a length of about 1.8 Km falling in Nepal, has been acquired and earthwork, bridge works etc. taken up.

(ii) Jaynagar-Bijalpura gauge conversion & its extension up to Bardibas (69 Km):- 3 Km length falls in India & 66 km falls in Nepal. Final location Survey has been completed. Land plans for Indian portion has been submitted to the State Government. In Nepal portion, land has been handed over in 47 km. in patches. Earthwork & bridgework have been taken up in the stretches where land is available.

This information was given Minister of State in Ministry of Railways Shri Manoj Sinha in a reply to a question in Rajya Sabha Yesterday.
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Tuesday, 7 July 2015

06:16

Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board to commission Chobhar CFS by 2018

Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board to commission Chobhar CFS by 2018

Khatmandu: Despite the one-year delay in ownership transfer of the land required to construct Container Freight Station (CFS) in Chobhar, Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board (NITDB) is gearing up to complete the project within the stipulated time — by 2018.

The proposed project, being undertaken with the financial assistance of the World Bank Group, was nearly cancelled due to the land acquisition process taking such a long time. Ownership transfer of the land of Himal Cement factory of Chobhar from the Ministry of Industry to the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies was completed only last month. However, as per project document, the construction contract of the project is scheduled to be awarded by September.

The World Bank is extending assistance worth $15.5 million for this particular component under Nepal-India Regional Trade and Transport Project (NIRTTP).

After settling the land ownership issue, NITDB has called for request for expression of interest to conduct the environmental impact assessment and detailed designs of the project.

The survey and detailed designs are scheduled to be completed by January 12, 2016, according to Laxman Basnet, executive director of NITDB. “The contract for the detailed designs and environmental survey will be awarded by mid-September this year.”

However, the project has yet to complete other prerequisites before starting construction.

After the completion of the detailed designs and environmental survey, NITDB will start the process to award construction contract of the CFS, that is expected to be completed by July 11, 2016. Thereafter, NITDB plans to complete all the construction works by January 11, 2018. However, the contractor would be liable if any defects are found in the construction until January of 2019.

NITDB has convinced the World Bank’s inspection team that they will complete the project within the given deadline. Hence, the component of CFS construction has not been cancelled.

The World Bank team has been inspecting the performance of the project every six months. As the land ownership row has been settled, it is believed that NITDB would be able to complete the project within the set deadline.

However, if the board needs to call the tender more than once while hiring the consultant and contractor, the project may be delayed.

NITDB Executive Director Basnet has said that it is challenging to complete the project by 2018 but they will implement it by shortening the time normally set aside for bid selection and contract awarding, among others.

The NIRTTP project came into implementation from September 2013.

After Himal Cement was shut down in 2002, the government had agreed to take the World Bank’s support to utilise that property as CFS. The government will utilise 816 ropanis of land in Chobhar for the CFS. Meanwhile, the slope landscape of the cement factory will be utilised to develop Exhibition Centre.
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Thursday, 7 May 2015

07:27

GRP ups vigil in trains and Railway areas after Kandhla violence

GRP ups vigil in trains and Railway areas after Kandhla violence

Agra: In the wake of Kandhla violence in Shamli district on Sunday, Government Railway Police (GRP) has increased patrolling in trains passing through Agra division. According to sources, the move followed reports of Chinese-made pistols and crude country-made bombs being supplied to anti-social elements in the communally-sensitive areas with the help of drug peddlers.

On Sunday, more than 17 people were injured in clashes between police and a mob protesting against the alleged assault on five Muslim scholars from Maharashtra in a train at Kandhla railway station.

Senior Superintendent of Police (GRP) Gopeshnath Khanna said, “Illegal consignments of Chinese pistols and country-made revolvers are being supplied in communally-sensitive districts, such as Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Kasganj, Etah, Etawah and Manipuri.”

“The weapons are mostly carried by drug peddlers of Bihar and West Bengal. In the last one week, large amount of arms’ consignments have been delivered in western UP districts,” he said.

“The arms were supplied through two routes. One from Indore and Ratlam areas of Madhya Pradesh, while other from India-Nepal bordering areas, like Siddharthnagar and Balrampur, from where they are transported through trains in various part of Uttar Pradesh,” the SSP said.

According to highly placed source in the local intelligence unit, the special task force (STF) had arrested a man from western UP with five pistols of Chinese origin, last month. During interrogation, he spilled the beans on the routes been used to transport these arms to various parts of the state.

Khanna said, “Disassembled parts of these illegal arms are carried by local men and women in general bogies of train, acting as carrier for mere Rs.2000 and transport weapons in sacks, bed-holdings and small boxes to pre-decided places of the violence.” Most of them are unaware of the key persons involved in this smuggling, but are aware that the weapons are being carried for Jihad.

“We have given high priority to Aligarh, Etah and Kasganj because they fall under category of highly sensitive areas,” he added.
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Wednesday, 6 August 2014

07:24

Railway Service Agreement between India-Nepal to be revised‚ inked soon

Railway Service Agreement between India-Nepal to be revised‚ inked soon

Khatmandu:  Nepal and India have agreed to revise agreements on railway service and motor vehicle movement. On Monday, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, issuing a joint press release, directed concerned officials to revise and sign the agreements.

The revision in railway service agreement (RSA) is expected to help simplify movement of railway cargo for trade with India and third countries. While, motor vehicle agreement (MVA) will be a guiding principle to operate direct bus services between Nepal and India on designated routes and also facilitate individuals travelling to either country in their personal vehicles.

Motor vehicle movement between the two countries so far, is being allowed on the basis of understanding reached between the two governments in the 1960s. Even as the MVA for passenger vehicles was initiated in 2004, both the countries are yet to sign it.

On the final day of the two-day visit of the Indian premier to Nepal, both the governments have also directed their authorities to expedite the construction of Postal Highway Phase I and cross-border railway links at all five agreed border points. The Joint Commission Meeting of both the nations held in Kathmandu late last month had also agreed to intensify construction of Postal Highway and cross-border railway links.

Phase I of Postal Highway consists of 19 roads in Tarai districts with a total length of 606.75 km. The concerned authorities have also been directed to commence Phase II within a year. According to the press statement, India has also agreed to consider Nepal’s request for financial assistance to implement phase II.

Responding to Nepal’s call for support in construction of the Eastern section of Mid-Hill Highway, India has also agreed to consider it. The Eastern section includes 61-km Chiyobhanjyang-Ganeshchowk, 35-km Jorsal-Tamor-Sankranti, 68-km Sankranti-Myanglung, 88-km Bhojpur-Diktel, 40-km Haleshi-Hilepani and 60-km Ghurmi-Khurkot. Track opening in the eastern part of the proposed Mid-Hill highway, which connects 24 hilly districts, has already been completed.

On tourism front, India has decided to provide assistance for development of Janakpur, Baraha chhetra and Lumbini, including linking Lumbini with Buddhist circuit of India, based on specific proposals from Nepal. Buddhist circuit is a pilgrimage route which connects Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar of India and Lumbini, Nepal.

“India has assured in assisting construction of a multilane motorable bridge over Mahakali River at Mahendranagar, which will allow traffic along the East-West Highway to cross over the Mahakali River and establish a vital trade and transit linkage for far-western region of Nepal with Indian cities of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhand,” states the press release. The Indian side also agreed to consider constructing motorable bridges at the border points at Jhulaghat and Darchula.
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