China–Nepal Railway
Overview
Native name中尼铁路/चीन-नेपाल रेलवे
StatusPlanned
Termini
Technical
Line length72 km (45 mi) (Nepali section);[1] 556 km (345 mi) (Gyirong–Shigatse section)[2]
Operating speed120 km/h (75 mph) (Gyirong–Shigatse)[3]

The China–Nepal Railway (Chinese: 中尼铁路; Nepali: चीन-नेपाल रेलवे) is a planned railway between China and Nepal. The railway will link Kathmandu with Shigatse, Tibet, crossing the China–Nepal border at Gyirong–Rasuwa.[4]

History

As early as 1973, Mao Zedong proposed a connection between the two countries to King Birendra of Nepal in Beijing.[5]

In 2006, the Qinghai–Tibet Railway, the first railway in Tibet, was completed. The same year, the then chairman of Tibet Autonomous Region Qiangba Puncog told the former Prime Minister of Nepal Khadga Prasad Oli, then Deputy Prime Minister, that the railway would be extended to Shigatse and eventually to China–Nepal border.

In 2016, during Oli's visit to China, the two countries signed a treaty on trade and transit, including a plan to build a high speed railway from Kathmandu to the Chinese border.[6] In June 2018, Nepal and China agreed on construction of the railway as a component of a series of cooperation projects approved by the two sides.[4][7] A mutual agreement over the pre-feasibility study was reached in August 2018.[8] The railway has been viewed as a way to reduce Nepal's dependence on India, which was made apparent during the 2015 Nepal blockade.[9][10]

The first extension of the Tibetan Railway, the Lhasa–Shigatse railway, opened in 2014. China plans to extend this railway up to Lake Paiku/Gyirong, which is around 60 km from the Rasuwa border crossing.[9] Construction of the railway from Shigatse to Gyirong is expected to be complete by 2022.[11]

The cost of the Nepalese section of the railway has been estimated to be from US$ 2.7 billion [9] up to 5.5 billion, but no agreement has been reached yet over the funding, with Nepal unable to bear the full cost of the railway. A Chinese pre-feasibility study proposed a tunnel under the Langtang National Park to avoid a steep gradient and building in the protected area. In a straight line, the distance between Kathmandu and the border with China is just 70 km.[5]

In December 2022, a 42-month Chinese feasibility study started,[12] but construction of the railway remained uncertain as Nepal is unable get funding for the project. An anonymous Nepalese top government official claimed that "the cross-country railway project with China is less likely to move forward unless the Chinese side expresses willingness to build it under a grant arrangement." However, China is hesitant to provide this, fearing a precedent for other Belt-and-Road projects.[13][14]

Route

Existing Lanzhou–Kathmandu and Xi'an–Kathmandu freight routes involve cargo being carried by trucks from Shigatse through Gyirong border post to Nepal.[15][16][17] This first leg of the route starts from Lanzhou, a major freight hub in the Chinese railway network, to Xining over the Lanzhou–Qinghai railway (opened 1959), from Xining to Lhasa over the Qinghai–Tibet railway (opened 2006), and from Lhasa to Shigatse over the Lhasa–Xigazê railway (opened 2014).

Within China, the new railway, which will cross 556 km (345 mi) of Chinese territory before reaching the Nepali border, will mostly follow the route of China National Highway 318 after leaving Shigatse, passing through Lhatse, Sa'gya, Dinggyê, Tingri, and Nyalam. After reaching Nyalam, the railway will follow Highway 219 to Gyirong.

The Nepali section is 72 km (45 mi) long, and is considered one of the most challenging railway projects due to topographical issues of the Himalayas. 98.5% of the section will be bridges or tunnels. There will be four stations along the line, with the terminal at Sankhu in Kathmandu.[1] A further extension to Pokhara and Lumbini is planned.[18]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Giri, A; Giri, S (24 August 2018). "Nepal, China agree on rail study". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  2. ↑ Wang, Jun (13 March 2017). "西藏代表团建议：加快实施日喀则至吉隆口岸铁路建设". thepaper.cn. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "西藏有望实现铁路市市通". State Council Information Office of China. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  4. 1 2 Hu, Yongqi (22 June 2018). "Railway project to link Tibet, Nepal". China Daily. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  5. 1 2 "No light at end of trans-Himalayan train tunnel". Nepali Times. Archived from the original on 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  6. ↑ Adhikari, Deepak (19 September 2018). "Nepal gets access to China ports, analysts say it's a 'huge deal'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  7. ↑ Pandey, Lekhanath (8 July 2018). "How a China-Nepal railway could fast-track change in the Himalayan nation and redraw relations with India". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  8. ↑ "中尼跨境铁路预可行性研究评审会及中尼铁路技术交流在西安举行". National Railway Administration of China. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 Sangraula, Bikash (2019-10-11). "To decrease its dependence on India, Nepal eagerly awaits China rail plan". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  10. ↑ "Nepal pushes to end dependency on India with China rail, tunnel deals". Reuters. 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  11. ↑ "The Tibet Train". Nepali Times. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  12. ↑ Preston, Robert (2023-04-26). "Survey work now underway for China - Nepal rail link".
  13. ↑ Shrestha, Sajira (2023-10-01). "Has Nepal lost interest in the cross-border railway network with China?".
  14. ↑ "What's the Status of the Much-Discussed China-Nepal Railway?". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  15. ↑ Devirupa Mitra (19 May 2016). "China's Freight Train to Nepal Is No Threat, But Indian Border Infrastructure Needs Fast Upgrade". The Wire. The international freight train will travel within Chinese territory until the current railhead of Xigaze (Shigatse) and then travel by road through Gyirong (Geelong) border post. The goods will take 10 days to reach Kathmandu (...)
  16. ↑ "Lanzhou- Katmandu freight train takes its inaugural trip". www.chinadaily.com.cn.
  17. ↑ "China launches road-rail freight service to Nepal from Xi'an | Railway". www.itln.in. Indian Transport and Logistics News.
  18. ↑ "Chinese rail to arrive in Nepal in five years, says minister". The Himalayan Times. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
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