Nepal Railways

The Nepal Railway Company Ltd. (NRC, reporting mark: NR / ने. रे) is a state-owned company which operates passenger train service in Nepal.[1] Currently it operates passenger transport service on the 28 km line from Jainagar, India to Janakpur, Nepal.

Nepal Railway Company Ltd.
Nepal Railway
Native name
नेपाल रेल्वे कम्पनी
TypeGovernment sector
IndustryRail transport
PredecessorNepal Government Railway and
Nepal Janakpur–Jainagar Railway
Founded1927
FounderChandra Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana
Headquarters
Janakpur
,
Nepal
Area served
Nepal
Key people
Pramila Devi Shakya Bajracharya (Director General)
OwnerGovernment of Nepal
ParentGovernment of Nepal
Websitehttps://nepalrailway.org/
Jaynagar–Janakpur line
km
to Barauni–Gorakhpur, Raxaul and
Jainagar lines of Indian Railways
0
 Jaynagar - Freight terminal
0,6
 Jaynagar
3
India
Nepal
border
8,31
 Khajuri
10
11
13
 Mahinathpur (Thadi Jhijha)
15
 Sahib Saroj Nagar (Duhabi)
16
17
 Baidehi (Itaharwa)
19
20
21
 Perbaha
22,5
27,5
28,9
 Janakpur
27,5
 Bighi
50
 Bijayalpura

History
A Nepal Railway locomotive in 1927 during the reign of Rana PM Chandra SJBR

The first railway in Nepal was the Nepal Government Railway (NGR), a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge railway, built by the British in 1927, during the Rana period.[2] The railway connected Raxaul in British India with Amlekhganj in the Kingdom of Nepal.[3] This 39-kilometre-long (24 mi) line allowed people from different areas of the country to reach Amlekhganj, and helped move heavy vehicles to Bhimphedi. It was then possible to reach Kathmandu from Bhimphedi on foot. The railway possessed seven steam locomotives, 12 coaches and 82 wagons.[4] It operated steam-powered Garratt locomotives manufactured by Beyer, Peacock and Company of the United Kingdom.[5]

The second railway in the country was the Nepal Janakpur–Jainagar Railway (NJJR), a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge railway, built by the British in 1937, during the Rana period. This 28-mile-long (45 km) track was built to carry timber from the then heavily forested areas of Janakpur in the Kingdom of Nepal to Jainagar in British India.[6] The railway was later extended to Bijalpura.

The Raxaul–Amlekhganj railway track was operational until 1965. It was closed down after opening of the Tribhuvan Highway.[7] The railway track from Raxaul was converted to 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge by Indian Railways to connect Sirsiya (Birganj) Inland Container Depot (ICD). The railway became fully operational in 2005, though certain segments were used as early as 2002. It is used to move containers and other cargo to and from the Kolkata port and other places in India. It is the most important entry point for imports into China, and is essential for Nepal's commerce and trade. Birganj is located 700 km (430 mi) from the Kolkata port by railway.

After a washout of the railway embankment and two bridges, the track between Janakpur and Bijayalpura (22 km railway line) was closed in 2001. The remaining Janakpur–Jainagar railway track was converted to 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge in 2018. The extension to Bardibas remains under construction.[6]

Incidents
  • In August 2012, a serious incident occurred when a locomotive ran away without bogies while a driver was putting in oil. The locomotive ran from Jainagar to Janakpur at speeds far exceeding the restrictions on the line, resulting in the normally two-and-a-half hours journey of 29 km (18 mi) taking only 45 minutes. The staff at Janakpur diverted the locomotive engine onto a damaged track where its wheels became stuck in the ground and it came to a full stop without causing any injuries.[8][9]

Future

Nepal Railway plans to extend it's service beyond Janakpur in future. It is going to operate to Bijayalpura very soon, up to where infrastructures are operate-able and up to Bardibas in near future where rail infrastructures are under construction by Department of Railways.

See also

References
  1. "नेपाल सरकार भौतिक पुर्वाधार तथा यातायात मन्त्रालय रेल विभाग विशालनगर, काठमाण्डौ". www.dorw.gov.np. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  2. Aitchison, Sir Charles Umpherston (1929). A Collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sanads Relating to India and Neighbouring Countries, Volume 14. Government of India Central Publication Branch. p. 47. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  3. "Railway in Nepal and it's scope". 20 February 2018. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  4. "Railroads". A Country Study: Nepal. The Library of Congress. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  5. "Garratt Locomotives produced by Beyer Peacock". Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  6. "The Janakpur Railway - The longest railway line of Nepal". Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  7. A National Transport System for Nepal (PDF). Washington, D.C.: World Bank. June 1965. p. 22. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  8. "Train engine from India completes journey to Nepal sans driver". www.deccanherald.com. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  9. "Train engine from India completes journey to Nepal sans drive". m.indiarailinfo.com. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
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