'Allocate sufficient budget for railway development'

KATHMANDU:

The Development Committee of the Legislature-Parliament today directed the government to allocate sufficient budget for railway development and expansion plans. To facilitate development of railway sector, it has also instructed the government to formulate necessary strategy, policy and legal provisions.

According to the committee, its meeting held today decided to direct the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT), Ministry of Finance and Department of Railways to give more fund to railway sector from next fiscal year, immediately start detailed project report (DPR) for possible ‘high speed’ railway projects in the country and link it with cross-border railway lines.

The government has been carrying out Mechi-Mahakali Electrified Railway project targeting to link east of the country to the west and the Capital with Pokhara. For long, the government has also been mulling over a feasibility study on North-South railway links to connect with neighbouring countries — India and China — as part of Trans-Asia Railway Network.

In December 2011, Nepal had agreed to be a part of the railway network, which will connect the country with railway networks in Europe, enabling uninterrupted movement of people and goods. The committee has also directed MoPIT and the railway department to intensify works of Mechi-Mahakali railway project and submit a progress report every three months.

The mega project is estimated to cost more than Rs 800 billion and the track bed construction was started from last fiscal year in Bardibas-Simara, a section of the Mechi-Mahakali railway project. In the current fiscal year, Rs 1.4 billion has been allocated for the railway works. A plan is also afoot in the Investment Board of Nepal for development of a metro railway in the Kathmandu Valley.

“MoPIT and railway department have been directed to conduct detailed study to establish connection with China’s railway network through Rasuwa-Kerung,” said the committee. China has been showing interest to extend its Qinghai-Tibet Railway that reached Shigatse in August last year up to Kerung, a nearest Chinese town from Rasuwa, Nepal. Shigatse is around 540 km from Kerung. The bordering Nepali district — Rasuwa — is at 35 km distance from Kerung.

During bilateral talks held last month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had agreed to expand the railway up to Kerung. At that time, he had also urged Nepal to conduct a feasibility study within its territory so that the railway could be extended to Kathmandu and beyond.

Source: THT