May 25: The government has started feasibility study for the development of Kerung-Kathmandu railway network. The Department of Railways (DoR) has been entrusted with the responsibility since May 22. Engineers from the department and a technical team from China have started field study for the construction of the railway network which is expected to be 100 kilometers, informed Prakash Bhakta Upadhyay, spokesperson of DoR. The team will carry out the study from the Tokha of Kathmandu till the northern border in Rasuwa district.

The Chinese team had arrived on May 21 for the feasibility study of Kerung-Kathmandu railway network. Discussions are underway between Nepal and China on railway connectivity along Kerung-Kathmandu-Pokhara-Lumbini. But for the time being, the feasibility study will focus on Kathmandu-Kerung  network, informed Upadhyay.

According to him, the team will submit a report by the end of August.

Earlier, a team led by secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT), Madhu Sudhan Adhikari, visited China to hold discussions with Chinese officials regarding the feasibility study for the construction of Kerung-Kathmandu railway. The meeting concluded that an in-depth research was needed due to the difficult topography in between Kerung and Kathmandu.