Kathmandu-Raxaul electric railway to cost Rs 400bn

A study has estimated the cost of building the Kathmandu-Raxaul electric railway line at around Rs 400bn.

The report of the Final Location Survey (FLS) conducted by the Indian government has put the estimated cost of the project at Rs 400bn, government officials say.

The Indian government has forwarded the report to the government for approval. The survey was conducted with financial and technical support from India. The two countries signed the survey agreement in September 2021, giving a timeframe of 18 months.

Earlier, the Indian government had conducted the Preliminary Engineering Cum Traffic (PET) Survey and submitted its report to the Nepali government. The survey had estimated the cost at Rs 250bn.

Both the PET and LFS surveys were conducted by the Konkan Railway Corporation, a Government of India undertaking. “The PET survey had estimated the total length at 136 kilometers, but the recent LFS survey report states that the total length will be 140 km. The length increased a bit to avoid the proposed location of the Nijgadh International Airport,” said Senior Divisional Engineer Aman Chitrakar, spokesperson for the Department of Railways.

According to the survey report, there will be 13 stations between Raxaul and Kathmandu, with the train passing through Bara, Parsa, and Makwanpur to reach the final station at Chobhar. Given the route’s hilly terrain, the project will involve the construction of numerous bridges and tunnels. About 41 km of the railway line will pass through tunnels. India has proposed building the railway line in broad gauge, allowing for a maximum speed of 120 km per hour.

With the survey report completed, the government will now initiate discussions on the investment modality. While Nepal had proposed India to build the line in standard gauge, which is used worldwide, India has insisted on constructing it in broad gauge. This may pose difficulties later on as Nepal prepares to build the East-West railway and Kerung-Kathmandu railway in standard gauge. According to Chitrakar, even India is building new railway lines in its territory in standard gauge.