Train To Himalayas: India-Nepal Passenger Rail Service Begins Today; Here’s All You Need To Know

India-Nepal Railway Service: The Jaynagar to Kurtha railway link will be the first modern railway service in Nepal. Know Routes, Documents required to travel cross border.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepal counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba inaugurated the rail service between the two countries operating from Jaynagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Janakpur on Saturday. East Central Railway (ECR) chief public relations officer (CPRO) Birendra Kumar has said the launch of the much-awaited rail services would give further impetus to the bilateral relations between the two countries. According to media reports, in the first phase of the project, 34.50km (Jaynagar to Kurtha) out of a total 69.08km-long stretch will be opened while the remaining line till Bardibas of Nepal will be made functional in some time. The cross border railway link, according to a Kathmandu Post report, will be the first modern railway service in Nepal.

India-Nepal Railway Service: Things To Know About The Services, Routes

1. The rail project has a total of 2.95km in India while the remaining 65.75km is in Nepal.
2. The rail service between Jayanagar and Bijalpura in Nepal had been introduced for the first time in 1937 by the British. It was suspended in 2001 after the devastating floods in Nepal.
3. The section will have a total of eight stations and six halt stations.
4. It will also have 47 road crossings and 15 major bridges. Further, there are 127 minor bridges on the route.
5. As per the initial plans, for passenger trains, a speed of 100kilometres per hour will be allowed, while for freight, it will be limited to 65kmph.
   

   India-Nepal Passenger Train Service

6. To operate on the route, two sets of 1600 HP DEMU passenger rakes were supplied to Nepal by Konkan Rail Corporation Limited (KRCL). These rakes have two AC coaches each apart from non-AC coaches.
7. Trains on the section will pass through the Madhubani district of Bihar and the agricultural and densely populated districts of Dhanusa, Mahottari, and Siraha in Nepal.
8. Custom checking points have been made on this railway line at Jaynagar in India and Inarwa station in Nepal.
9. Ircon International Limited, a wing of the railways, has been assigned the task to complete the project in three phases. This project is being undertaken by IRCON and all rail engineering and infrastructure works are complete.

India-Nepal Railway Service: Documents Required To Travel

1. Valid national passport
2. Photo Identity Card issued by the Government of India/State Government/Union Territory Administration to its employees
3. Photo ID card issued by the Election Commission of India
4. Emergency Certificate/Identity Certificate issued by the Embassy of India/Consulate General of India in Nepal
5. Persons above 65 years of age and below 15 years of age must have photographic documents to confirm their age and identity such as PAN Card, Driving License, CGHS Card, Ration Card, etc.
6. In the case of a family, if one of the adults has any one of the documents mentioned in 1 to 3 above, the other members shall provide a photo identity proof showing their relation to the family such as CGHS Card, Ration Card,
7. Driving Licence, issued by the school/college. If issued an ID card, then they can be allowed to travel.