India and Nepal are set to ink an agreement to provide railway connectivity and augment existing lines between the two countries. Once constructed, these rail lines will provide India better access to the Madhes (Terai) region of the Himalayan country. The agreement is likely to be signed during the ongoing visit of Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav to India. Yadav is slated to meet President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday.
While India has been exploring the possibilities of setting up new rail lines through five different routes, two of these routes -- the 17.65-km long stretch between Jogbani (India) and Viratnagar (Nepal) and the 70 km long stretch from Jaynagar (India) to Birdibas (Nepal) via Baijalpura (Nepal) -- are likely to be given top priority and will form the core of the agreement to be signed.
Sources said that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has already sanctioned a sum of Rs 470 crore for the Jaynagar-Birdibas line and another Rs 210 crore for Jogbani-Viratnagar line. "The Jaynagar-Birdibas route involves gauge conversion of the existing rail line and construction of a new line from Baijalpura to Birdibas," a government official said.
A 12.11 km stretch between Nepalgunj Road (India) and Nepalgunj (Nepal), a 15.30 km stretch between Nautanwa (India) and Bhairawaha (Nepal) and a 46.30 km stretch between New Jalpaiguri (India) and Kakrabitta (Nepal) are the other three rail links that have already been explored as options for setting up rail lines between the two countries.
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