India plans rail link to five Nepal cities

India plans to extend railway service to five southern Nepali cities bordering India, local media reported on Sunday.

According to The Himalayan Times daily report, the proposed lines will run from Nepalgunj road in Uttar Pradesh to Nepalgunj ( 12 km), Nautuna to Bhairahawa (15 km), Jayanagar to Bardibas (70 km), Jogban to Biratnagar (17 km) and New Jalpaigudi to Kakarvitta (46 km).

Engineering and traffic report of Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) found the need to extend railway services to the Nepali cities, a high-level official of Indian Railway Ministry said.

Conclusion will be drawn after carrying out a feasibility study soon, the official said.

Rail line will be extended to one of the routes immediately after the economic and technical feasibility study leads to an agreement between the governments of India and Nepal, an official at the Indian Railway ministry was quoted as saying.

Source: Xinhua