Cargo railway service to Biratnagar comes into operation

Kathmandu: A cargo rail service from Bathnaha of India to Budhnaga of Biratnagar-18- has come into operation today.

The well-decorated cargo rail arrived in Biratnagar from Bathnaha of bordering Indian district Katihar carrying raw materials of different industries.

The rail departed from Bathnaha after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated the rail service in New Delhi. It arrived at Nepal Custom Yard in Biratnagar after eight hours.

PM Dahal, who is in an official India visit and Indian PM Modi had inaugurated the service by showing green flag. The cargo rail service has come to operation from Bathnaha to Budhnagar, Biratnagar-based Integrated Custom Checkpoint.

Industrialists, traders and general public had welcomed the cargo rail after its arrival at Biratnagar. Earlier, raw materials of the industries used to be transported to Bathnaha, India through rail and thereby transported to industries in Biratnagar through heavy vehicles.

With the operation of the rail service, it would be easier and cheaper for business community to transport their raw materials after it arrived at integrated Custom Checkpoint in Biratnagar. Chairperson of Morang Trade Association Nabin Rijal expressed his pleasure for their long-waited aspiration coming true, adding it would also reduce raw material costs and render relief to the customers.

Locals have demanded passenger-ferrying train service in coming days. The construction of the rail service project was estimated to be 3.73 billion Indian rupees. The project was implemented with the financial and technical assurance of Indian government.

The contract for the project to operate rail service from Bathnaha, India to Katahari of Maheshpur Rural Municipality, Morang was signed 12 years ago. But, the project did not make progress due to dispute in land acquisition and compensation. Now the service has come into operation in the only eight-km railways section.

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