Report in Kathmandu Post, November 20, 2020
India has agreed to help Nepali railway personnel enhance their capacity and provide training in Nepal and India as the country prepares to resume passenger railway service on the Kurtha-Jayanagar section of cross-border railway.
After the railway was upgraded into broad gauge from the earlier narrow gauge line, the government prepared to operate railway services after a hiatus of seven years. The railway service on narrow gauge was halted after the renovation and upgrading works began.
The government purchased two diesel-electric multiple unit rail sets in September and has hired some technical human resources from India for their operation but the country is facing a shortage of local human resources. The rail sets have remained unused currently due to lack of adequate preparation on the part of the government.
During the 4th India-Nepal Joint Working Group meeting on Railway Cooperation held on Friday via video-conferencing, India agreed to help in capacity development of Nepali railway personnel and provide training in India, according to a press statement of the Indian embassy issued on Friday.
According to the embassy, both sides discussed the technical preparedness of the completed 34-km long section of the railway line between Kurtha in Nepal and Jaynagar in India for the purpose of running passenger train services, including the standard operating procedures that need to be put in place for resumption of passenger train services.
The Nepal Railway Company will operate the passenger train along this railway line.
Both sides further agreed to expedite the work for completion of the other ongoing cross-border railway project between Jogbani in India and Biratnagar being built with a grant assistance of Rs. 5.88 billion, according to the embassy.
The joint working group on Friday also reviewed the cross border rail link projects between Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas and Jogbani-Biratnagar including discussions on the mutual facilitation and coordination required for completion of the work on remaining sections from Kurtha to Bilajpura which is being constructed by India at the cost of Rs3.2 billion.
Nepal and India have also agreed to see potential of developing Birgunj-Kathmandu railway line. In February, Indian government allocated funding to carry out a detailed project report on the proposed Raxaul-Kathmandu electric rail project, Nepal government officials said.
https://kathmandupost.com/national/2020/11/20/india-to-train-nepali-technicians-to-operate-cross-border-passenger-railway-service
