India and Nepal Discuss Cross-Border Railway Projects
Collaborative Efforts on Railway Connectivity
Officials from India and Nepal during the 10th Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting. (Photo:@IndiaInNepal/X)
Kathmandu, June 13: Recent discussions between India and Nepal have centered on enhancing cross-border railway connections, particularly focusing on passenger train services along the Janakpur-Ayodhya route, as well as broader bilateral cooperation in railway infrastructure.
The dialogues took place during the 10th Project Steering Committee and the 8th Joint Working Group meetings on June 11 and 12, as reported by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.
A significant topic of discussion was the standard operating procedures necessary for initiating passenger train services on the Janakpur-Ayodhya line.
Janakpur in Nepal, recognized as the birthplace of Sita, is located approximately 220 km southeast of Kathmandu and around 500 km east of Ayodhya, attracting numerous devotees from both nations.
Additionally, the meetings addressed the Final Location Survey (FLS) report concerning the Raxaul-Kathmandu broad gauge railway link, along with the progress of the Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas and Jogbani-Biratnagar railway lines, which are being developed with assistance from India, according to the Embassy's statement.
Technical support for the East-West Railway Link, which serves the southern Terai districts of Nepal, was also included in the discussions over the two-day meeting.
These talks are a continuation of the previous discussions held during the 9th Project Steering Committee and 7th Joint Working Group meetings in New Delhi in February 2025, where both sides reviewed progress and planned future steps for the remaining railway segments.