India To Develop Cross-Border Rail Network Connecting Kathmandu With Delhi And Kolkata

Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu, who was in Kathmandu on Monday, announced Indian Railway’s plan to connect the Nepalese capital with New Delhi and the port city of Kolkata which the land-locked Himalayan nation extensively uses for trading. The construction will begin as soon as the two countries sign a Memorandum of Understanding on this issue.

“We need to build the railway tracks connecting Kathmandu with Delhi and Kolkata as soon as possible,” Prabhu was quoted as saying. "If we could build these two railway tracks soon it would increase Nepal's connectivity with India,” Prabhu said while addressing the 'Nepal Infrastructure Summit 2017', which concluded in Kathmandu.

Experts suggest that this project is a part of India’s plan to counter China’s growing influence in Nepal and is aimed at rendering Beijing’s plan to extend its Tibetan rail network to Lumbini via Kathmandu obsolete.

Saying that infrastructure is an absolute necessity for higher economic growth, Prabhu encouraged the Nepal government and the private sector to invest in infrastructural development.

Rail connectivity between Kathmandu and major Indian cities will significantly improve connectivity, making trade and movement easier.