Nepali PM KP Oli with PM Narendra Modi. (Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)In a joint press statement with the Nepali premier, KP Oli, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has announced a new railway line connecting Kathmandu to India in a bid to bolster land connectivity between the two countries.
The Nepali PM has chosen India for his maiden foreign trip after his election to the top post in 2017.
The railway line is among other several other connectivity projects announced by the two leaders along with a waterways link and Terai roads linking the agricultural plains in the India and Nepal.
India and Nepal share an open border policy with several bus services between the countries. However, the only other rail link, which connected Janakpur in Nepal to Jayanagar in Bihar has been defunct since 2014.
While the Janakpur-Jayanagar rail link is also being restored – targeting completion in 2018, a direct link to Kathmandu represents a major boost to connectivity between the nations.
An India-Nepal petroleum products pipeline was also inaugurated by the two leaders.
Also Read: Nepal Premier’s Visit Presents A Great Opportunity To Recast Indo-Nepal Ties
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