Janakpur-Jayanagar Railway Benefits Local Residents; East-West Rail Project Progresses Amidst Delays

Janakpur. Local residents in Janakpur and the Nepal-India border areas have benefited since the Kurtha-Janakpur-Jayanagar railway came into operation. The train service, which was completely suspended during the House of Representatives elections, is now operating normally.

The Railway Department purchased the train from India's government company Konkan Railway Corporation in 2019 for 84 crore 65 lakh rupees. One train, consisting of five coaches, can carry 1200 to 1300 passengers at a time. Both trains, designated as Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) capable of running on both diesel and electricity, PC 1901 and PC 1902, have an output of 1600 horsepower.

Currently operating only on the Kurtha-Janakpur-Jayanagar route, Nepal Railway's national pride project, the East-West Electric Railway line construction, is 90 percent complete only in Sarlahi district, according to the project's Lalbandi office.

The plan for the East-West Electric Railway, which is written in the manifestos of every party during elections, has not yet been fully realized. This time, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has also included the plan to operate the East-West Electric Railway in its manifesto.

RSP's manifesto includes creating a 50-year master plan for railway expansion based on detailed studies to bring long-term change to Nepal's transportation system. Branch lines are planned to reach major cities in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Dang, Surkhet, and the Terai region, connecting them to the railway networks of India and China.

However, track construction work remains incomplete in some parts of this Sarlahi section. Work has been halted because the Sagarnath Forest Project and the Murtia Forest Office have not permitted tree cutting. Work has not progressed in some areas because a few farmers in the Ghurkoli area of Hariban Municipality-5 have refused to accept compensation, demanding an increase in land valuation, thereby obstructing the work. Photo: Prakash Chand Timilsena/ Nepal Photo Library