List of railway lines in Nepal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of existing, under-construction, and proposed railway lines in Nepal, a landlocked nation currently undergoing a significant transition from a historically limited rail presence to a modern, electrified transportation network. While Bardibas-Jaynagar line remains the only operational passenger rail service in the country, several new lines are in the phase of planning and construction.
History
The history of rail transport in Nepal can be divided into three eras, the early Rana-era of narrow gauge lines of 1920, the decline of railway lines in mid-20th century and the modern plans for revival and electrification.
Early Rana-era lines
The first railway of Nepal, Nepal Government Railway (NGR) was established between Raxaul in India to Amlekhganj in Nepal. It was around 47 km (29 mi) long and was based on narrow gauge system. The main purpose of this railway was to export Timber from lush forests of Terai to British India and later India. After nearly a decade in 1937, Nepal Janakpur Jaynagar Railway was established to transport passengers and woods to Indian town of Jaynagar from Janakpur.
The fall of railways
After the fall of Rana-rule and political uncertainty in the nation, the government started focusing on highways, leaving railways in limbo. The quality of service, lack of maintenance and aging infrastructure eventually forced the last remaining passenger railway, NJJR to shut down in 2014.
Modern revival
The revival of Nepali Railways started when the government formally established Department of Railways in 2011. The government, under technical and financial support from Government of India, converted the Jaynagar-Janakpur narrow gauge line into broad gauge and extending it till Bardibas in 2022. Currently, Nepal Government is working with multiple projects, notably East-West Railway, Raxaul-Kathmandu railway[1] and Kerung-Kathmandu railway all of which are planned to be electrified.
Railway lines
| Line | Status | Operator(s) | Type | Gauge | Opened | Length | Speed | Electrified | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  Raxaul-Amlekhganj  |
Defunct | Freight & Passenger | Narrow | 1927 | 47 km (29 mi) | 15 km/h (9.3 mph) | Steam | Closed in 1965 | ||
Jaynagar-Bijalpura |
Defunct | Freight & Passenger | Narrow | 1937 | 51 km (32 mi) | 15 km/h (9.3 mph) | Steam/Diesel | Closed in 2014; replaced by Jaynagar-Bardibas broad gauge line | ||
Bhimnagar-Dharan |
Defunct | Freight | Narrow | 1958 | 66 km (41 mi) | Unknown | Steam | Closed in late 1960s after construction of Koshi Barrage completed | [2] | |
Raxaul-Sirsiya |
Active | - |
Freight | Broad | 2005 | 6 km (3.7 mi) | 30 km/h (19 mph) | No | [3] | |
Jaynagar-Bardibas |
Active | Passenger | Broad | 2022 | 68.72 km (42.70 mi) | 120 km/h (75 mph) | No (planned in future) | Jaynagar-Bijalpura section operational; Bijalpura-Bardibas under construction | [4] | |
Bathnaha-Biratnagar |
Active | - |
Freight | Broad | 2023 | 18.6 km (11.6 mi) | 110 km/h (68 mph) | No | Bathnaha-Birtanagar ICP constructed; Biratnagar ICP-Katahari under construction | [5] |
Kakarbhitta-Bhimdatta |
Under Construction | - |
Passenger & Freight | Standard | - |
945.44 km (587.47 mi) | 200 km/h (120 mph) | Planned | Construction of Bardibas-Nijgadh section going on as priority | [6] |
Raxaul-Kathmandu |
DPR finalized | - |
Passenger & Freight | Broad | - |
136 km (85 mi) | 120 km/h (75 mph) | Planned | Estimated cost at $3 billion | [7] |
 Kerung-Kathmandu |
Feasibility study ongoing | - |
Passenger & Freight | Standard | - |
73 km (45 mi) | 120 km/h (75 mph) | Planned | Estimated cost at $5.5 billion | [8] |
Kathmandu-Pokhara |
Proposed | - |
Passenger & Freight | Standard | - |
187.083 km (116.248 mi) | 160 km/h (99 mph) | Planned | Estimated cost at $2.8 billion | [9] |
Tamasariya-Aanbu Khaireni |
Proposed | - |
Passenger & Freight | Standard | - |
71.72 km (44.56 mi) | 160 km/h (99 mph) | Planned | Estimated cost at $527 million | [10] |
Rupaidiha-Kohalpur |
Surveys completed | - |
Passenger & Freight | Broad | - |
18.5 km (11.5 mi) | TBD | Unknown | Construction hasn't proceeded after completion of surveys in 2018 due to various reasons | [11] |
Barhani-Kathmandu |
Proposed (uncertain) | - |
TBD | Broad | - |
approx. 330 km (210 mi) | TBD | Unknown | No physical progress made since 2016 | [12] |
Nautanwa-Siddharthnagar |
Proposed | - |
Passenger & Freight | Broad | - |
15.3 km (9.5 mi) | TBD | Unknown | ||
Kakarbhitta-New Jalpaiguri |
Proposed | - |
Passenger & Freight | Broad | - |
38 km (24 mi) | 110 km/h (68 mph) | Planned | ||
| Kathmandu Metrorail |
Early planning phase | - |
Light rail | Standard | - |
TBD | 60 km/h (37 mph) | Planned | Actual implementation uncertain | [13] |