Kathmandu: The fourth India-Nepal Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Railway Cooperation was held on Friday via video-conferencing to review the cross border rail link projects.
"The JWG reviewed the cross border rail link projects that are between Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas and Jogbani-Biratnagar under advance implementation. Both sides discussed the technical preparedness of the completed 34 km long section of the railway line between Jaynagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal to run passenger train services, including the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that need to be put in place for resumption of passenger train services by Nepal Railway Company (NRC)," the release stated.
Read:| India-Nepal border check post construction begins
India and Nepal also discussed the mutual facilitation and coordination required for completion of the work on the remaining sections from Kurtha to Bilajpura, currently under construction by the Government of India for Rs 200 crores (NR 3200 million).
Both sides further agreed to expedite the work for completion of the other ongoing cross-border railway project between Jogbani in India and Biratnagar in Nepal under grant assistance of Rs 374 crores (NR 5884 million).
The JWG Co-Chairs gave a nod to extend cooperation in the railway sector, including in the capacity building and training of Nepali railway personnel in India and Nepal as per the requirements of Nepal.
Moreover, India and Nepal will remain engaged closely to strengthen cooperation in the railway sector.
The Indian side was led by Dr Manoj Singh, Executive Director (Traffic Transportation-F), Ministry of Railways, Government of India, while the Nepali side was led by Er Gopal Prasad Sigdel, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport of Government of Nepal.
ANI
Read:| Nepal Prez unveils special anthology on Mahatma Gandhi
