KATHMANDU: The India government has shown interest in taking the Kathmandu-Raxaul railway project forward.

A team from the India government is willing to come to Nepal to make a study about it, said the railway department. However, the Nepal government cannot allow the team to do so immediately due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The railaway department said the government cannot allow the team to come to Nepal at least for two months to carry out the project.

The Nepal government had singed a deal on the railway construction project with India  in the fourth meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) held in Nepal two years ago.

India in the agreement had agreed to build the railway on its own investment and technology.

The deal had been signed between the two countries in the presence of Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to the agreement, railway projects include Jayanagar-Kurtha, Biratnagar-Jogbani, Jalpaigudi-Kankadvitta, Nautanhawa-Bhairahawa and Nepalgunjroad-Nepalgunj.

Of them, the construction of two railway projects – Jayanagar-Kurtha, Biratnagar-Jogbani – have already started.

RSS