Kerung-Kathmandu
The detailed practicability study of the proposed Kerung-Kathmandu interstate railway will be conducted in three phases. The interstate railway is considered a ‘symbol’ of friendship between Nepal and China. During Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit, Nepal and China have agreed on a technical action plan to study the proposed three-phase railway project.
According to Keshav Kumar Sharma, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport and Chief of the Development Assistance Coordination Division, a practicability study will be carried out in three phases; aerial survey in the first phase, geographical research in the second phase and railway line planning and cost estimation in the third phase. The current agreement between the two countries states that the entire cost of the project will be borne by the Chinese government, Sharma said. The detailed practicability study will be started soon and the study report will decide the total cost of the railway project, construction model, and so on.
“As per the understanding, China will conduct a detailed feasibility study on its economic and technical investment,” he said. “It is estimated that it will take about three years to prepare the DPR of this railway. As it will be built in remote geography, the railway will have to be studied from different angles.”
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