Rail transport in Nepal

Department of Railways
Nepal Railways
Native name
 नेपाल रेल्वे
Government sector
Industry Rail transport
Fate Acquired on 15 June 2011
Predecessor Nepal Government Railways
Successor Nepal Railways Corporation Ltd
Founded 1927
Founder Jang Bahadur Rana with association of British Indian Government
Defunct 2014
Headquarters Bishalnagar, Kathmandu, Nepal
Area served
 Nepal
Key people
 Anant Acharya (Director General)
Owner Nepal Government
Website www.dorw.gov.np
A train at Janakpur railway station in 2009

Railway transport in Nepal is not more developed. Presently there is no more trains are running in Nepal. There is only a broad gauge 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) railway line connects Raxaul (India) to the Sirsiya (Birgunj Inland Dry Port, Nepal) that became fully operational in 2005.[1] The Raxaul–Sirsiya line is a 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge line and is only used for freight. It allows container traffic to be imported to Nepal through the Sirsiya dry port container depot.[2]

Janakpur (Nepal) to Jaynagar (India) line was the only operating passenger railway in Nepal until 2014.[3] It was initially built in 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge. The line was closed to convert the narrow gauge to broad gauge.

The capital, Kathmandu, has no railway connections.

History

The first railway in Nepal was started in 1927[4] between Raxaul (India) to Amlekhganj (Nepal) during Chandra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana period. It was a 48 kilometres (30 mi) narrow gauge line.[5] The railway possessed seven steam locomotives, 12 coaches and 82 wagons.[6] It operated steam-powered Garratt locomotives manufactured by Beyer, Peacock and Company of the United Kingdom.[7] The second railway line was started in 1936, between Jayanagar (India) to Bijalpura (Nepal). It was also a narrow gauge 53 kilometres (33 mi) line.[5]

Raxaul–Amlekhganj railway was operational until 1965. It became nonoperational subsequently after completion of Tribhuvan Highway.[8] The second railway line from Jaynagar to Bijalpura via Janakpur, the 53 kilometres (33 mi) long railway line was shortened to 29 kilometres (18 mi). After a washout of the railway embankment and two missing bridges the operations between Janakpur and Bijalpura (22 km railway line) was stopped in 2001.[9] The 29 kilometres (18 mi) railway line from Jaynagar to Janakpur was also stopped in 2014 to upgrade the narrow gauge line into broad gauge.

Future Projects

Proposed railways

  • China–Nepal Railway: A line linking India with Lhasa in Tibet through Kathmandu has been proposed by K.P. Oli government. In November 2017, Chinese media reported the arrival of a delegation of Chinese railway experts to Nepal. The Chinese experts discussed the possibility of a railway connection between China and Nepal.[11] The two sides reached an agreement on construction details of the railway in August 2018[12].
  • Raxaul–Kathmandu: Nepal and India had agreed to construct railway line linking Raxaul with Kathmandu during Prime Minister KP Oli Sharma's visit to India.[13] A team of technical officers visited to Kathmandu to study of the proposed railway from Raxaul to Kathmandu and they have stated, a feasibility study of the project would begin. They already have identified Chobhar as the terminus of the 113 km long railway line. [14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Nepal Railway Assessment". Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "Introduction". customs.gov.np. Department of Customs dryport office, Government of Nepal. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "History of Janakpur to Jaynagar Railway". Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  4. ↑ Aitchison, Sir Charles Umpherston (1929). A Collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sanads Relating to India and Neighbouring Countries, Volume 14. Government of India Central Publication Branch. p. 47. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Railway in Nepal and it's scope". 20 February 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  6. ↑ "Railroads". A Country Study: Nepal. The Library of Congress. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "Garratt Locomotives produced by Beyer Peacock". Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  8. ↑ A National Transport System for Nepal (PDF). Washington, D.C.: World Bank. June 1965. p. 22. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "The Janakpur Railway - The longest railway line of Nepal". Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Nepal-India passenger railway to resume in Oct". Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  11. ↑ 中方铁路代表团赴尼泊尔开展铁路调研 (A team of Chinese railway representatives visit Nepal to initiate a railway study), 2017-11-14
  12. ↑ Giri, A; Giri, S (24 August 2018). "Nepal, China agree on rail study". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  13. ↑ "India And Nepal To Speed Up Raxaul-Kathmandu Rail Project". 11 July 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  14. ↑ "DoR says land acquisition a major hurdle". www.kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. Kantipur Publications. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.

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