Kathmandu: Nepal will not allow citizens from the third country to travel to India by train through the new Kurtha-Jayanagar train launched after Indian officials lifted the red flag, citing security issues, said a media report on Saturday.
“It was agreed while completing a standard operating procedure (SPA) for cross-border train operations,” Deepak Kumar Bhattarai, Director General of the Railroad Department, was quoted as saying by the Post Kathmandu newspaper.
Nepal and India share the porous border, which has become a nest for criminals and terrorist activities.
On October 22, India submitted a cross-border train link 34.9 km which connected Jaynagar to Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal to the Nepal government.
The spa is a document that outlines the procedure that will be adopted when operating train services between the two countries.
Indian security concern is one reason why it took a long time to complete the spa, said Bhattarai.
According to the report, Nepal will notify India about passengers who ride the train to ensure a smooth security permit on the border.
“Based on tickets issued, we have to send the passenger details traveling to India,” Bhattarai added.
India has been worried about the possibility of a surge in cross-border crime if a third citizen is permitted to travel through the Kurtha-Jayanagar train, the report said.
The Jayanagar-Kurtha section is part of the 68.7km rail link for Jayanagar-Bijalpura-Bardidas which was built under the Government of Indian Grant Assistance for NPR 8.77 billion.
New infrastructure was built for extensive train operations by replacing a narrow gauge, which was stopped more than seven years ago.
However, there is still no clarity when the train service will eventually be continued.
That’s because the Nepalese government will still introduce regulations on train services and Nepal train companies suffer from acute labor shortages.
Four months ago, the Bahadur Deuba SHER regime has now submitted procedures in the train service in parliament.
But it failed to get a parliamentary nod.