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There was the only functioning Nepalese passenger railway in Nepal until it was closed down due to construction of a new standard gauge line due to be completed by 2017. This 59 km narrow gauge railway ran between Janakpur in Nepal and Jainagar in India close to the border between the two nations, and was of 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. The line continued to Bijalpura, but this section is currently redundant due to a damaged bridge. The capital, Kathmandu, has no railway connections at all. Several Indian Railways lines cross the border into Nepal and continue for short distances into the Nepalese plains. There is a joint Nepalese/Indian freight line connecting Raxaul (Indian/Nepalese border) and Sirsiya (Nepal). Currently Nepal Railway is running between Janakpur to Jaynagar (approx 29 km) only with 1 remaining diesel locomotive ZDM 524, out of 4 given as a gift by India to replace steam.
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According to a BBC television programme broadcast in March 2015, the line closed in 2014. The programme stated that Indian Railways had started the construction of a broad gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) replacement line, planned to be open in 2017. Also stated was that a line linking India with China through Nepal had been proposed.
Existing railways
The Nepal Railways Corporation operates the main narrow gauge passenger line within Nepal, and owns the currently redundant permanent way of this line's extension to Bijalpura. The line critically underfunded by Nepalese government, with low fares and struggling to pay the 150 remaining workers.
The line from Raxaul in India is a broad gauge installation, operated jointly by Nepal Railways Corporation and Indian Railways, and allowing container traffic to be imported to Nepal, through the Sirsiva dry port container depot.
Several very short railways reach Nepal from India, penetrating not much further than the adjacent plains, such as to Janakpurdham. They are generally narrow gauge.
Proposed railways
Nepal likely to have help from India, in major upgrade to current railway with broad gauge of 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) and it will extent up to Bardibas. They have done all the formalities for that. In 2008, serious proposals surfaced to build a link from Lhasa in Tibet, to Nepal.
According to a BBC television programme broadcast in March 2015, the line closed in 2014. The programme stated that Indian Railways had started the construction of a broad 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) gauge replacement line, planned to be open in 2017. Also stated was that a line linking India with China through Nepal had been proposed.