Indian self-interest in broad gauge railways, 84 years ago, even now

Kathmandu. When the Jayanagar-Kurtha railway was upgraded and came into operation for the first time, a kind of enthusiasm was seen among the locals of the area on Friday. The anxious waiting for the train was explained to them by the crowd watching the train. However, quenching the thirst of the locals, the Nepali flag-carrying train has again stalled in the Indian market. Officials of the railway department and the railway company have said that the train will be operational in a month and a half. Guru Bhattarai, general manager of Nepal Railway Company, says that the service will start after the government opens the border, saying that it is not possible to operate the train regularly now as the Nepal-India border is closed due to Kovid.

Janakpur train to avoid becoming 'white elephant'?

This railway, which is the second railway in Nepal, is about to come into operation again after 6 years. The Nepali side accepted India's proposal to widen the existing 'narrow gauge' route and make it 'broad gauge'. The railway has been upgraded by Irkan International Limited, an Indian company, with an Indian grant of Rs 5.5 billion. Nepal is preparing to operate this train service as a Nepali flag carrier by purchasing two trains worth Rs 874 million from Indian railway construction company Konkan Limited. The train was brought to Janakpur from Jayanagar on Friday for testing. After the technical test, Konkan will hand over the train to the Nepali side.

Except for the last Rs 874 million, the entire investment of this railway is from the Indian side. This railway with a history of about 84 years has been constructed and operated in the interest of India from the beginning to the end. In Nepal, in 1937 (1984), the then British East India government built a 52-kilometer railway from Bijlapura in Mahottari to Jayanagar on the Indian border. It was in his interest to transport Nepali timber to India.

In the forest of Mahottari at that time there was a lot of wood around Sakhuwa. The railway was built by the then British government to transport the same timber. However, 10 years later, India became independent. After that, the transportation of timber gradually stopped. It has been used as a passenger railway since 1961. However, the train service from Janpur to Bijalpura was suspended after the Biggi Bridge in Mahottari was damaged due to floods in 2002 BS. After that, the railway service was limited to 29 kilometers of Janakpur Jayanagar.

By 2051, the Government of India had provided four diesel-powered engines, including 18 bogies, to replace the coal and fire-powered train. However, that train was based on green gauge.

However, Janakpur Jayanagar is not the first railway service in Nepal. The railway line from Raxaul to Amalekhgunj was inaugurated on 16 February 1927 (1974 BS) with the support of the British government, 10 years before the Janakpur Jayanagar Railway came into operation. This railway was seen as a means of connecting Kathmandu with India. After about 29 years, the Tribhuvan Highway was constructed in 1956 and the daily bus service was resumed. Even now, the need for construction of this railway has not been felt. However, the Janakpur-Jayanagar railway has always been important. The Indian government proposed to make the same narrow gauge broad gauge six years ago.

Depending on the width of the railway, it is divided into different gauges. At present, the track with a width of 1,435 millimeters (4 feet 8.5 inches) is called standard gauge. A railway with less width is called narrow gauge and a railway with more width is called broad gauge. Earlier, the railway track built by the British government at that time was 762 millimeters (2.6 feet). At present, the railway built by the Government of India is equal to 1,676 millimeters (5 feet 6 inches). At present, standard gauge railways are in vogue all over the world. However, India has built a broad gauge track.

The reason for India building such a broad gauge is to 'tie up' its national railway network with Nepal's railways. At present, the Indian railway network is based on 1,676 mm of tracks. Therefore, the coaches coming from this route can be brought through the railway from Jayanagar to Kurtha.

However, behind this argument is India's own interest. At present, construction of trains for broad gauge has stopped in countries other than India. Due to this, India seems to want to create an environment where the locomotives sold in Nepal can be sold from their own country. According to Batipay, the reason for the current loss of Rs 440 million for a single railway is the Indian monopoly. If there was a standard gauge train, there would be an environment to compete with the construction companies of other countries.

Prior to this, even before the closure of the train in January 2071 BS, the train was overcrowded. However, due to managerial incompetence, it was not possible to raise funds for the upgrade of the railway in its 54 years of operation. However, to date, both the Railway Department and the Nepal Railway Company have not thought about the cost effectiveness of the railway service. Balaram Mishra, Director General of the Railway Department, says, “Despite the considerable benefits of operating Nepal's railways, the government has not yet seen a profit or loss. Even if there is no immediate benefit, the country will benefit in the long run.

However, India had proposed to build all the railways in Nepal, including the East-West Railway, in broad gauge. However, preparations have been made to build the Mechi-Mahakali electric railway in a standard manner.

Very important 35 kilometers

This railway is not very long. But, it is taken very seriously. This railway is the only project connecting Nepal with the Indian railway network so far. It also connects the capital of Province 2 with the world's largest railway network. But that's not why it's important. The railway is expected to change its face from the bordering Nepali market to Kurtha, Bijlapur and Bardibas via Janakpur.

The distance from Jayanagar in India to Janakpur in Nepal is 29 kilometers. At present, the railway is operating in an area of ​​35 km including 6 km from Janakpur to Kurtha. A 17-kilometer track from Kurtha to Bijalpura is under construction. The process for construction of 24 km railway line from Bijalpura to Bardibas has also started. Including all these, 76 km broad gauge railway will be constructed from Jayanagar to Bardibas.

Although the railway line from Jayanagar to Kurtha was built with the help of the Government of India, the railway line from Kurtha to Bijalpura and from Bijalpura to Bardibas are being constructed by Nepali construction businessmen with Nepali investment.

The planned east-west railway network in Nepal extends from Bardibas to East-West. Therefore, the 76 km railway line from Jagannagar to Bardibas is also considered as a link track connecting the Indian National Railway Network and the Nepali Railway Network. That is why this railway is seen as an important event.

Similarly, it is planned to extend the link road from Jalpaiguri to Kankarvitta, from Jogbani to Biratnagar via Itahari, from Raxaul to Birgunj via Simara, from Nautuna to Bhairahawa via Butwal, from Nepalgunj Road to Kohalpur via Nepalgunj.

The railway is expected to reduce public transport costs by a quarter. The fare for the 29-kilometer journey from Janakpur to Jayanagar was Rs 35. According to the locals, they have to pay more than Rs 150 to reach the market. Local vehicles ply from Janakpur to the Nepal-India border. Then you have to take an auto rickshaw to reach Jayanagar from across the border. On top of that, they have to spend two and a half to three hundred rupees to go to the market, he said.

Before the closure of the service for broad gauge, the Indian-assisted diesel railway Nepal operated for about 10 years. Before that, from 1961 to 2004, Nepal Railways provided service for 44 years by taking fares with passengers. But during this period, instead of raising financial resources for the expansion of the new railway, the government had to look for the operation of the railway.

However, the border Nepali market was in a sick state due to non-operation of railway services. It was very difficult to bring small customs from the Indian market to the Nepali market due to lack of expansion. Due to the same reason, some businessmen were displaced.

Not only that, when the railway service was closed, the business of rickshaws, auto rickshaws and other means of transport in the area including Jakpur was also reduced. Janakpur-based Ratopati correspondent Kiran Kumar Karna says, "People have come to believe that the situation before 2071 BS will return after the start of the railway service."

Risk of becoming a 'white elephant'

Considered very important from various points of view, this railway is in doubtful condition from the point of view of cost effectiveness. There are fears that the Indian-funded railways will buy trains and raise its operating costs and staff costs.

Before the closure of the service for broad gauge, the Indian-assisted diesel railway Nepal operated for about 10 years. Before that, from 1961 to 2004, Nepal Railways provided service for 44 years by taking fares with passengers. But during this period, instead of raising financial resources for the expansion of the new railway, the government had to look for the operation of the railway.

However, the lack of passengers did not mean that the railway service was at a loss. Prior to this, even before the closure of the train in January 2071 BS, the train was overcrowded. However, due to managerial incompetence, it was not possible to raise funds for the upgrade of the railway in its 54 years of operation. However, to date, both the Railway Department and the Nepal Railway Company have not thought about the cost effectiveness of the railway service. Balram Mishra, Director General of the Railway Department, says, “Despite the considerable benefits of operating Nepal's railways, the government has not yet seen a profit or loss. Even if there is no immediate benefit, the country will benefit in the long run.

Infrastructure expert Surya Raj Acharya says that it is not possible for the passenger railway operation to turn a profit. He said the government has been providing 45 per cent subsidy on passenger train fares in India and the cost is being covered by cargo trains. "Trucks cannot compete with trains over long distances, so the best option is to give a discount to passengers by increasing the cost of cargo trains," Acharya said.

The two trains have the capacity to carry 2,600 passengers daily. It is estimated that up to 4,000 people use the train service every day. The railway company has now proposed a fare of Rs 75 for economy class and Rs 500 for AC for the journey from Kurtha to Jayanagar. According to Guru Bhattarai, general manager of the railway company, the proposal is yet to be approved by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Management. However, it is said that the ministry will reduce the fare from Rs 35 to Rs 75 at a time. 

However, the cost is very high. The railway company has asked for 129 employees including technical staff in the first phase. But officials at the railway department estimate that this staff will not be enough. It is not enough to raise the cost of railways by hiring such staff. Even with 129 employees, the average government spends more than Rs 7.5 million a month. However, adding operating costs to it would cost more than Rs 10 million a month. At present, the fare offered by the railway company at full capacity will not exceed Rs 9 million.

Infrastructure expert Surya Raj Acharya says that it is not possible for the passenger railway operation to turn a profit. He said the government has been providing 45 per cent subsidy on passenger train fares in India and the cost is being covered by cargo trains. "Trucks cannot compete with trains over long distances, so the best option is to give a discount to passengers by increasing the cost of cargo trains," Acharya said.

However, without cost effectiveness, it is not possible for the railways to be profitable under any circumstances. For that, the operation of the railway should be handed over to the private sector, says Acharya. He fears that the railway service may become a 'white elephant' as it will not be able to bear the cost in the future as it is now recruiting employees through the railway company.

He said that in the 1960's, in most countries of the world, the government had run its own railway service, but this model had failed everywhere. He said that in all countries except India, its operation is now given to the private sector. However, India itself is providing 45 percent subsidy for passenger trains. Acharya says, 'Grants must be given for the operation of passenger trains. However, if the private sector pays 10 percent, the government may have to pay 50 percent. The government cannot do an effective job like the private sector.

However, in a country like Nepal, cost effectiveness and returns are not given importance in road infrastructure. However, as the road is a multi-purpose medium, it is not given much importance. However, experts say that the cost-effectiveness of the railway is of great importance as it is used for running trains.