For the past three years, the dream of the Nepalese people of the Janakpur region to reach Jayanagar of India by train has finally come true.
As per the agreement reached between Nepal and India in 2010, the Jayanagar-Janakpur-Bhangha-Bardiwas railway line construction and expansion project was started.
Thousands of people had gathered at the Janakpur railway station on Saturday morning to witness the operation of the train after eight years and two months. Despite the scorching heat, schoolchildren lined up for hours to greet guests at the train station. The district and the armed police had to struggle to manage the crowd.
When the train with the guests reached Janakpur railway station at 3.45 pm, the general public welcomed the guests with cheers. Ram Pujan Mahara of Mahottari Vijalpura said that he has made a plan to take a train to Jayanagar after the regular operation of the train. He said, "I have heard that this train from Janakpur-Kurtha goes to Jayanagar once in the morning. The evening returns again. That is why I have reached Janakpur railway station with the plan of going to Jayanagar by train in the morning and returning in the evening. '' He also said that he had never boarded a train before.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated the virtual train service on Saturday. General Manager of Nepal Railway Company Niranjan Jha informed that the Jayanagar-Kurtha train runs twice daily. General Manager of Nepal Railway Company Niranjan Jha informed that regular trains have been operating as per the schedule from today. According to Jha, the schedule is twice a day and twice a day. He informed that the train will leave Jayanagar at 8:30 am and 3 pm and another train will leave Kurtha at 10:30 am and 5:15 pm.
According to General Manager Jha, the train will leave Jayanagar at 8:30 am for Kurtha and reach Kurtha station at 10 am daily and the train will return to Kurtha at 3 in the afternoon and return at 5:15 in the evening.
Identity documents are required to board the train
Passengers coming to board the Jayanagar-Kurtha railway section have to carry identification documents. General Manager of Nepal Railway Company, Jha, said that identification documents have been made mandatory in view of security challenges due to open borders.
General Manager Jha said that Nepali citizens should carry citizenship certificates, driver's licenses, voter identity cards or other identification documents keeping in view the security and open border. He said that a letter of recommendation or a certificate with a photo issued by the Consulate General is required for such emergency admission. The Nepal Railway Company has stated that in the case of children under the age of 10 to 18, it is mandatory to have an identity card with a photo of the school.
Similarly, to board a Nepali train, an Indian citizen must carry a valid national passport issued by the Government of India, an identity card issued by the Election Commission of India or an ID card.
How much is the train fare?
The fare of train service from Jayanagar to Kurtha has been fixed. The fare for Janakpur-Kurtha-Jayanagar general seat has been fixed at Rs 90 per passenger and for the AC seat at Rs 450. The distance from Jayanagar to Kurtha is about 35 kilometres.
The capacity of the train
There are 10 bogies with two sets of locomotives on the train purchased from the Indian Kokan Railway Company for Rs. 846.5 million. One engine is connected at the front and another at the rear. Both bodies have a capacity of about 1,500 passengers. According to the Nepal Railway Company, the speed of Jayanagar-Kurtha railway station will be short so it will run at a speed of 70 to 80 kilometres per hour even though its capacity is 100 km/hr.
This is the DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit) train. The Demu train runs in both directions, i.e. back and forth. After reaching the final destination, it moves forward from the back without turning. Its engine can be powered by both diesel and electricity. An electric train produced by a diesel-powered machine is known as a demo train. Currently, the train will operate at a distance of 35 km. The construction of an additional 17 km railway from Kurtha to Bijulpura has reached the final stage and after its completion, the railway will be operational in 52 km. General Manager Jha informed that the construction from Kurtha to Bijulpura has almost been completed and the train will be operational in the next two to four months. Trains will be able to stop at eight places in the 35 km distance.
Another station is four to five kilometres from one station. Its design speed is 100 km per hour in passenger vehicles. He informed that the freight vehicles will be 65 km per hour. General Manager Jha said, "If passengers can be transported faster on the same railway, it will take more time to transport the goods." The train that arrived a year and a half ago could not be operated due to various problems. The train set was stalled for a long time due to a lack of staff and lack of law. Now that all the preparations have been completed, the way is open for operation.
With the re-issuance of the ordinance on railways, the way has been opened for the operation of the Jayanagar-Janakpur railway. President Bidyadevi Bhandari has also issued Railway Ordinance, 2078 BS on the recommendation of the government.
Expectations on the assistance in economic development
The Jayanagar-Kurtha train service is expected to help in economic development in Madhes. Jitendra Mahaseth, president of the Janakpurdham Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that Nepalis would have easy access to various cities of India as it is connected to the Indian railway network and would help in the promotion of tourism.
He said that with the operation of train service, Nepalis will be able to travel easily to New Delhi, Patna, Benaras, Calcutta and other cities of the Indian capital, while daily Indian citizens will be able to come to Nepal as tourists. Jitendra Mahaseth, president of the association, believes that the import of Indian food and goods will be easier with the operation of railways and the price of food grains will be cheaper by around Rs 10 per kg.
He demanded that the luggage should be transported along with the passengers. Chairman Mahaseth said, "Importing rice from South India by truck costs Rs. 16 per kg, but importing it by rail costs only Rs. 5 or 6 per kg.
History of railways in Nepal
Nepal Government Railway, established during the reign of Chandra Shamsher in 1927 AD, is the first railway service in Nepal. The then British government had constructed a 39 km railway from Raxaul in India to Amalekhgunj in Nepal and brought it into operation. At that time, the people of this valley in the Terai used to travel on foot from Amalekhgunj to Kathmandu via Bhimfedi. The service was discontinued in 2022.
Exactly 10 years after the first train was operated in Nepal, i.e. in 1937, the second train was operated from Jayanagar in Bihar via Janakpur to Bijalpura in Mahottari for 52 kilometres. Both trains were powered by steam engines. The Jayanagar-Janakpur-Bijalpura railway was built by the then British government to transport herbs and timber from Nepali land. A bogie was also made for the workers to board the freight train. After the deforestation of this area, the same train started operating as a passenger. Initially, the engine of the coal-powered train was changed to diesel-powered.
Until eight years ago, the railway was operating as the only reliable means of connecting the southeastern part of Dhanusha with the Indian market Jayanagar and connecting the eastern part of the district with Dhanusha's headquarters Janakpur. However, the railway service from Janakpur to Jayanagar (29 km) was limited after the Vighi bridge was damaged by the floods in 2002. As per the agreement reached between Nepal and India in 2010, the construction of the Jayanagar-Janakpur-Bhangha-Bardiwas railway line and expansion project was started.
The railway has been constructed in broad gauge as per the agreement between Nepal and India, which is currently improving the railway.
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