Kathmandu, November 20
Officials of Nepal and India have expedited preparations for the resumption of cross-border Janakpur-Jainagar railway.
However, it is still uncertain when the railway that was in operation until 2014 will resume.
A joint task force formed to resume the operation held its meeting online on Thursday. The meeting discussed the draft of standard operating procedure proposed by the Indian government, inform Nepali delegation members.
Nepal’s Physical Infrastructure and Transport Secretary Rabindra Shrestha says the Nepali side suggested some amendments to the draft during the meeting yesterday.
On the other hand, infrastructures such as customs and immigration offices are not ready for the resumption of the operation, the participants highlighted. Both sides are concerned about the possibility of some third-country nationals entering Nepal or India taking the advantage of the open border between them, according to Shrestha.
“This is just a preliminary discussion,” the official says, “Once we finalise the procedure, it will be a base for the operation. We are cautious that the operation should not face any difficulties in the future.”
