India on Friday handed over the 34.9km-long cross-border rail link connecting Jaynagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal to the Nepal government, a move that is expected to enhance trade and commerce activities as well as people to people linkages between the two countries.
The Jaynagar-Kurtha section is part of the 68.7km Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardidas rail link built under the Government of India''s grant assistance of NPR 8.77 billion.
Under the grant assistance of India, the gauge conversion of a 34.9 kms narrow gauge section into broad gauge, from Jaynagar in India to Kurtha in Nepal, has now been completed, Indian Embassy sources said.
"Once operationalised, the cross-border rail link is expected to enhance trade and commerce activities as well as people to people linkages between the two countries," a statement issued by Indian Embassy said.
The project will pass through the historical city of Janakpur in Nepal and will further boost people-to-people connect between the two countries, the Indian Embassy said.
The handing over ceremony took place in the presence of Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Renu Kumari Yadav and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay M. Kwatra.
The executing agency for the project, IRCON International Ltd. officially handed over the assets of the railway section to Nepal Railway Company Ltd. Cross-border rail linkages are a vital aspect of India-Nepal Development Co-operation.
Earlier this month, both sides discussed the ongoing works of Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas and Jogbani-Biratnagar broad gauge railway lines between the two countries, being developed with grant assistance from the government of India, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
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