Kathmandu, March 23: A Chinese technical team has started the field survey of the Kathmandu-Kerung railway. After celebrating the Chinese New Year, the technical team returned and reached Rasuwa for the survey. There are 40 technicians in the team.
The Chinese team reached Rasuwa via Kathmandu, Nuwakot. Aman Chitrakar, Senior Divisional Engineer and Spokesperson of the Railway Department said that a field survey will be conducted in all these three districts.
“Until now, a technical team of 40 people has come to Nepal and gone to the field for the study at different times,” he said, “the study will proceed according to the agreement between the two countries.”
Initially, six technical teams from China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group came for the survey. Even now, the technical team of the same company has come for study. “Previously, the team went to celebrate the Chinese New Year by seeing the field,” Chitrakar said, “Now it will be a regular study.” According to him, wherever the railway is said to be built, the total cost of construction will be known from the study of the geographical structure of the place. He said that the technical staff of the railway department went to the field along with the Chinese technical team for the necessary facilitation. ‘The field will be studied through an aerial survey,’ he said, ‘helicopters, drones and other equipment will be used for that.’
Rohit Bisural, director general of the railway department, said, “After waiting for a long time, the field survey has started.” He said that as long as the necessary equipment for the study is available, it will be used in Nepal and if not, it will be brought from China. According to the preliminary study, the feasibility study will take 42 months. The feasibility study will determine the actual distance, cost, tunnel, bridge height, station etc. of the railway.
In 2078 BS, a formal agreement was reached between the two countries to study the feasibility of the Kathmandu-Kerung railway. During the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Nepal in Ashoj 2076 BS, an agreement was reached to start the feasibility study. According to the preliminary study, 98 percent of the 72 km long railway from Rasuwagadhi to Kathmandu will be covered by hills, which will be cut to make the railway. China will study it at its own expense. It is estimated that the construction of the railway will cost nearly Rs 272 billion.
On the other hand, the study of the Kathmandu-Raxaul railway has been completed, but the final report has not been prepared yet. According to the study, it will cost Rs 320 billion to build the railway. Through a detailed study, this cost estimate including the expenses incurred in the construction of all the structures has been derived.
The study was carried out according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the senior officials of the Government of Nepal and India on Chait 22, 2078 BS. According to Bisural, director general of the department, it will be ready within the second week of next May.
The technical team of Konkan Railway Corporation of India has studied it. According to the final study, the distance of the railway will be 140 km. ‘This is a study equal to the detailed project report (DPR), after the final report is prepared, construction can be started based on this,’ said Bisural, ‘cost and distance may be lower until the report is prepared.’ Konkan had prepared the study report after 8 months in coordination with Nepal government.
