Nepal starts Janakpur-Jayanagar railway procurement process, approaches Indian companies

Nepal has started the procurement process to launch railway services from Janakpur in Nepal to Jayanagar in India, for which Indian companies have been approached.

The Government of Nepal had, on January 13, gave a go-ahead for the procurement process following which the Department of Railways, under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, started preparations for the purchase of rails.

"The Department has sent proposals to Indian government companies towards that end, and some of them have responded to the proposals," the state news agency RSS reported.

Though the Government of Nepal allocated NRs 500 million for the purchase of two trains for the service, the Department has stated that at least NRs 1.5 billion would be required for the purchase of rails.

The newly upgraded railway line between Nepal and India would cover a total distance of 35 kilometres in the first phase, for which the trial has already been carried out. The total length of the Bardibas-Janakpur-Jayanagar-Kurtha-Bijayapura is 69 kilometres.