Nepal to receive its first wide gauge railway engine, coaches today

Two sets of railways including engine and coaches to revive railway connection between Jayanagar in India and Kurtha in Janakpur, Nepal are set to be delivered on Friday.

Balaram Mishra, Director General of Department of Railways, said the set will be delivered to Nepal by the Konkan Railways of India later in the afternoon on September 18.

"Last evening it arrived at Jayanagar in India. It will arrive in Kurtha of Janakpur in Nepal later this afternoon. Till now we haven't faced or received any technical or other issues," Mishra told .

Nepali Railways officials have reached Janakpur on Thursday to receive the railways, the official further added.

The new set of railways procured from Konkan Company of India is expected to dock at Janakpur sub-station at around 3 pm on Friday afternoon. As the rail is set to arrive at its destination in Nepal, security at various points, through which it would travel has been increased.

"Today we will just be receiving the railway sets. There are no other formal or any kind of programs but the officials from Konkan Railways also will be arriving today. Company's technical team is driving the rail to dock it to Nepal," Mishra said.

Nepal's Railway Department has procured rail engines and coaches from Konkan Railways for NPR 84,65,000. On Friday, it will arrive at Janakpur and then will begin its return journey back to India's Jaynagar.

"Parking or holding spot for the rail is yet to be determined so both the set will return back to India after they arrive in Nepal this afternoon. We have a total of four parking spots for it -- Jaynagar, Inarwa, Khajuri and Kurtha," Binod Jha, site engineer of Janakpur from Nepal Railways, confirmed.

The railways operated using diesel and electricity, each set has five bogies (coaches). Out of them, one is AC coach while three are general bogies. One of the set's engine has been designed with the capacity to accommodate passengers.

"By combining the five bogies, it now bears the capacity of 1,300 passengers at a time," Jha added.

The 34-kilometre broad gauge railway track has been built with India's assistance. It would revive the earlier Janakpur-Jayanagar railways connection between India and Nepal. Further work of extending railways track from Kurtha to Bijalapur of Mahottari measuring 17 kilometres is underway.

The Kurtha-Jayanagar Railway measuring 35 kilometres in length was constructed with the technical and financial support of India. The railway is likely to come into operation after Dashain and Tihar festivals.

( With inputs from ANI )