Indian private company’s train arrives in Nepal for first time with containers

KATHMANDU: Indian private railway companies have started transporting goods to Nepal as per the agreement reached between Nepal and India two months ago.

Prior to the agreement, only the Indian government-owned railway companies used to transport goods to Nepal. This is the first time that the train of a private company entered the dry port of Birgunj.

The train of Hind Terminal Company of India arrived at the Birgunj dry port carrying 10 containers of goods for the first time at 10 this morning, 17 years after the operations of Nepal-India rail service. 

Nepal and India signed a railway service agreement in 2004. Since then, the government railway companies have been transporting goods to Nepal. Now, the private company has also started transporting goods to Nepal from today onwards.

Nepal and India had signed a Letter of Exchange (LoE) to the India-Nepal Railway services Agreement (RSA) on July 9 in 2004 amidst a virtual ceremony which ended the monopoly of the Indian government-owned Container Corporation of India (CONCOR).

The Executive Director of the Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board (NITDB) Ashish Gajurel said that the private railway companies have started transporting goods to Nepal from today.

“Only the Container Corporation of India used to transport the goods earlier. The private railway companies of India have started transporting the goods from today,” he said.

The recent agreement with the Indian government has paved the way for the private companies to transport goods.

The Ministry of Industry, commerce and supplies said that the importers and exporters can carry out foreign trade in an easy way.  

Rajendra Malla, Chairman of Nepal Chamber of Commerce, said that Nepal will benefit immensely from the service of Indian private companies.