Kerung-Kathmandu Railway: Nepal's Gateway to Europe

The China-Nepal Railway (Kerung-Kathmandu Railway), also known as चीन-नेपाल रेलवे in Nepali, is a forthcoming railway project set to connect China and Nepal. This railway endeavor will establish a link between Kathmandu and Shigatse, Tibet, traversing the China-Nepal border at Kerung-Rasuwa.
The Project Kerung-Kathmandu Railway is also seen as Nepal's Gateway to Europe.

In 1973, Mao Zedong proposed to King Birendra of Nepal in Beijing the idea of connecting the two nations via a railway. Following the completion of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the first railway in Tibet, in 2006, Qiangba Puncog, the then chairman of Tibet Autonomous Region, informed Khadga Prasad Oli, the former Prime Minister of Nepal, about plans to extend the railway to Shigatse and eventually to the China-Nepal border.

In 2016, during Oli's visit to China, both countries signed a treaty on trade and transit, which included a proposal for a high-speed railway from Kathmandu to the Chinese border. Subsequently, in June 2018, Nepal and China reached an agreement to commence the construction of the railway as part of a series of cooperation projects. An accord regarding the pre-feasibility study was finalized in August 2018. This railway project is seen as a means to diminish Nepal's reliance on India, as evidenced during the 2015 Nepal blockade.

The first extension of the Tibetan Railway, the Lhasa-Shigatse railway, was inaugurated in 2014. China's plan includes extending this railway to Lake Paiku/Kerung, approximately 60 km from the Rasuwa border crossing. The construction of the railway from Shigatse to Gyirong/Kerung is projected to be completed by 2022.

The estimated cost of the Nepalese section of the railway ranges from US$ 2.7 billion to 5.5 billion, yet there has been no agreement reached on funding, with Nepal unable to cover the entire cost. A Chinese pre-feasibility study suggested constructing a tunnel beneath the Langtang National Park to avoid steep gradients and building within the protected area. In a straight line, the distance between Kathmandu and the border with China is only 70 km.

In December 2022, a 42-month Chinese feasibility study commenced, but the construction of the railway remains uncertain as Nepal struggles to secure funding for the project. An unnamed Nepalese government official stated that the cross-country railway project with China is unlikely to progress unless China agrees to build it under a grant arrangement. However, China hesitates to provide such funding, fearing implications for other Belt-and-Road projects.

Regarding the route, existing Lanzhou-Kathmandu and Xi'an-Kathmandu freight routes entail cargo being transported by trucks from Shigatse through the Kerung/Gyirong border post to Nepal. The Chinese segment of the new railway, spanning 556 km of territory before reaching the Nepali border, will largely follow the route of China National Highway 318 after departing from Shigatse. It will traverse Lhatse, Sa'gya, Dinggyê, Tingri, and Nyalam before following Highway 219 to Gyirong.

The Nepali section, stretching 72 km, is considered one of the most challenging railway projects due to the topographical obstacles of the Himalayas. Approximately 98.5% of this section will consist of bridges or tunnels. There will be four stations along the line, with the terminal station situated in Sankhu, Kathmandu. Additionally, there are plans for further extension of the railway to Pokhara and Lumbini.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction: Kerung-Kathmandu Railway
2:24 Background & History
3:31 Present Situation
4:40 India-China Trade Through Nepal
5:32 Nepal's Trade Route
6:31 BRI: Nepal's Gateway to Europe

Tags:
#Kerung
#kathmandu
#railway
#china
#nepal


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