China aims to further promote rail connectivity in border areas. That is why China is working on the Nepal-China Railway project to fulfill its strategic interests. The Chinese embassy in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu has informed us that Beijing is ready to help the China-Nepal Cross Border Railway (CNR) project. China has made rapid progress in rail communication. It is now working on the Trans-Himalayan Railway on the Nepal border. The railway will connect Kathmandu with Kerong in Tibet.
As per the CRFSDI study, this project will take 9 years to complete. 30 thousand crores are required for the development of the Kerong-Kathmandu railway. This sum is equivalent to the total revenue of Nepal in 2018.
China does not have much business potential. The real purpose of this project for China is to increase its strategic importance. Relations between India and China have not been going well since the military standoff between the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA in Ladakh began in 2020.
It is reported that about 98% of Nepal’s railways will have tunnels and bridges. The project will cost a lot more than the current estimate as per the study. It will take at least 40 years for China to recover the investment made in this project.
