India submits report to Nepal; 0f the cross-border Raxaul-Kathmandu railway line

KATHMANDU: India has submitted a final location survey report of the cross-border Raxaul-Kathmandu railway line to Nepal for for its review and consideration. The development comes at a time when authorities in Beijing are also preparing a de-tailed feasibility study of a railway line whixh will link the Chinese border city of Kerung with Kathmandu.

The final location survey which was prepared by India’s Konkan Railway Corporation Limited was handed over to the govern-ment of Nepal last week via the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transportation.

Rohit Kumar Bisural, the Director General of Nepal’s Department of Railways, told IANS that they are currently examining the Indian report.

“With this, we have to deliberate on how to execute and implement the project. The final location survey has shown that the pro-ject is promising and is feasible for building,” he added.

As per the report, it will cost some $3 billion to construct the 141 km-line which will connect the Indian city of Raxaul to Kathmandu. The construction cost excludes land compensation.

The government of Nepal has to carry out the land acquisition and provide for the construction of the railway line. When the ini-tial study was carried out, the total investment of the project was around $2 billion but now it has increased by an additional $1 billion due to factors like price escalation of the different construction materials, officials said. (IANS)

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