India, Nepal review progress on cross-border railway projects

New Delhi, Mar 5: India and Nepal organized the 9th Project Steering Committee (PSC) and the 7th Joint Working Group (JWG) meetings in New Delhi from February 27-28, focusing on the progress of cross-border railway projects and strengthening bilateral cooperation in the railway sector.

The Indian delegation was led by Rohit Rathish, Joint Secretary (DPA-III) at the Ministry of External Affairs, while the JWG discussions were chaired by Pradeep Ojha, Executive Director (Traffic Transportation-Freight) at the Ministry of Railways. Representing Nepal, Sushil Babu Dhakal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, led discussions from the Nepali side.

Key topics included the implementation of the Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas and Jogbani-Biratnagar broad gauge railway lines, both of which are being developed with financial assistance from the Government of India.

The review also covered preparations for the next phases of these projects—extending the Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas line to Bardibas and completing the segment from Nepal Custom Yard to Biratnagar on the Jogbani-Biratnagar route. Nepal reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating the timely execution of these remaining sections.

Additionally, discussions touched upon the Final Location Survey (FLS) report for the Raxaul-Kathmandu Broad Gauge Railway Link and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for initiating passenger services on the Janakpur-Ayodhya section. Both nations also explored further collaboration in capacity building, logistics, and the training of Nepali railway personnel.

As part of their visit, the Nepali delegation toured the Indian Railways Institute of Transport Management (IRITM) in Lucknow and Ayodhya, gaining insights into training facilities available for railway personnel.