In a crucial step in establishing railway connectivity between India and Nepal, the two countries have signed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the start of passenger train services on the Jaynagar-Kurtha section-- a 35 km railway line, part of the India-funded Jaynagar-Bardiwas rail project in Nepal.  The railway connectivity will not only reduce the transportation costs but also increase bilateral trade, which crossed $8 billion in 2018-19. The enhanced connectivity will also boost Nepal’s trade with other South Asian countries, including Bangladesh. 

“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,” said a statement issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. 

India and Nepal held the 5th Joint Working Group (JWG) and the 7th Project Steering Committee (PSC) meetings of India and Nepal on Wednesday and Thursday and also took stock of the ongoing works on works of Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas and Jogbani-Biratnagar broad gauge railway lines between India and Nepal, being developed with grant assistance from India.

The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding for the 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 statement said. 

“The proposed Raxaul-Kathmandu broad gauge railway line will further boost connectivity between India and Nepal,” it added. In the meeting, both countries also agreed to expedite the work on completion of the 18.6 km long Jogbani-Biratnagar rail link and its early operationalization.

New Delhi prioritized railway connectivity projects to Kathmandu after Beijing announced the extension of its Tibet-Shigatse railway from Lhasa to Gyirong, a border district in Tibet just 175 north of Kathmandu in 2014. The project is likely to be completed by next year. 

Chinese connectivity projects in Nepal will certainly diminish significantly, if not end, Nepal’s tremendous economic dependence on India. 
 
Beijing had been courting Nepal’s political elites since at least 2005 for influence. However, India’s 2015 unofficial economic blockade--which caused immense suffering to common people and gave rise to anti-Indian sentiments-- pushed Nepal decisively for a closer engagement with its northern neighbor. 

(SAM)