India hands over cross-border rail link to Nepal

NEW DELHI: India has handed over the Jaynagar-Kurtha cross-border rail link to Nepal. Once operationalised, the link is expected to enhance trade and commerce activities as well as people to people linkages between the two countries, the Indian embassy said in a statement.
The line, which links Jaynagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal, is part of the 68.7km Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardidas rail link built with India’s grant assistance of NPR8.77 billion.
The gauge conversion of a 34.9-km narrow gauge section into broad gauge, from Jaynagar to Kurtha, has now been completed, Indian officials said. “The project will pass through Janakpur in Nepal and will boost people-to-people connect between the two countries,” the embassy statement said.