India-Nepal Trade Breakthrough: New Rail Pact Expands Key Transit Routes

The pact will facilitate railway freight movement between Jogbani (India) and Biratnagar (Nepal), including bulk cargo under an expanded definition. This liberalisation extends to key transit corridors- Kolkata-Jogbani, Kolkata–Nautanwa (Sunauli), and Visakhapatnam–Nautanwa (Sunauli), thereby strengthening multimodal trade connectivity between the two countries and Nepal’s trade with third countries

Both countries exchanged a Letter of Exchange amending the Protocol to the Treaty of Transit between India and Nepal, in the presence of India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and his Nepal counterpart Anil Kumar Sinha.

The Letter of Exchange enables direct rail connectivity along the Jogbani–Biratnagar rail link for both containerised and bulk cargo, facilitating transport from the ports of Kolkata and Visakhapatnam to the Nepal Customs Yard cargo station located in Morang District, near Biratnagar in Nepal. This rail link, constructed with grant assistance from the Government of India, was jointly inaugurated by the Prime Ministers of India and Nepal on 1 June 2023.

The meeting also welcomed ongoing bilateral initiatives to enhance cross-border connectivity and trade facilitation, including the development of Integrated Check Posts and other infrastructure.

India remains Nepal’s largest trade and investment partner, accounting for a significant share of its external trade. These new measures are expected to further consolidate economic and commercial linkages between the two countries and beyond.

The agreement comes close on the heels of India-Nepal agreements signed on Oct 29 to incorporate two joint venture entities for the development of high-capacity cross-border power transmission lines between the two countries.

The joint venture and shareholders’ agreements were signed here between Powergrid, a Maharatna Central public sector enterprise of India, and the Nepal Electricity Authority in the presence of Union Power Minister Manohar Lal and Nepal’s Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation of Nepal Kulman Ghising.

The agreements provide for the incorporation of two joint venture entities - one in India and one in Nepal - for setting up cross-border power transmission infrastructure.

- IANS