On December 27, 2022, the China-Nepal China-Nepal cross-border railway technical assistance expert team arrived in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Officials of the Nepal Railway Bureau said that this marks a new step in the feasibility study of the China-Nepal cross-border railway (Nepal section). Chargé d'affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal Wang Xin and Nepal Railways spokesman Aman Chitloka greeted the six-member expert group at the airport.

Chitloka said in an interview that the Chinese expert group arrived in Nepal to carry out the feasibility study, marking "a new step in the feasibility study from today". He said that the cross-border railway project has many challenges for Nepal, "but considering China's expertise and technological progress achieved so far, we are confident in the successful implementation of this project."

Feng Dequan, the executive unit of the feasibility study project and the project leader of China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group Co., Ltd., said that the China-Nepal railway crosses the Himalayas, and the terrain and geological conditions are extremely complex, which is world-class engineering difficulty. "We will fully learn from China's advanced technology and rich experience in building railways in difficult and complex mountainous and plateau areas, and on the basis of the cooperation between the top scientific research institutions of China and Nepal, we will work with Nigeria to overcome difficulties and do a good job in the development of China-Nepal cross-border railway. technical research work."

Previously, China and Nepal reached an agreement on advancing the feasibility study of the cross-border railway from Geelong to Kathmandu, a Chinese border port, and are scheduled to send Chinese experts to Nepal for survey within this year.

Geelong-Kathmandu Railway

According to reports, the Gyirong-Kathmandu railway will be part of a 550-kilometer railway linking the Tibetan city of Shigatse with Gyirong near the Nepal-China border. According to data from a pre-feasibility report conducted earlier, construction of the Kerung-Kathmandu section will cost more than $3 billion due to difficult terrain and other complications, despite being only 75 kilometers long.

The Chinese embassy in Kathmandu said in a statement: "The first batch of Chinese experts has arrived in Kathmandu today to conduct feasibility studies and surveys on the China-Nepal cross-border railway." component. The Chinese side gives priority to the wishes and needs of the Nigerian side in this regard, and will actively promote the feasibility study. The two countries will maintain close contact and coordination, and jointly carry out future work, focusing on building a trans-Himalayan three-dimensional interconnection network,

Early pre-feasibility studies completed by Chinese companies in 2016 and later in 2018 indicated that complex geological terrain and heavy engineering workload would be the biggest obstacles to building the cross-border railway. The line, which will pass through rugged mountains, will involve a complex construction schedule - raising questions about the viability of Nepal's most high-profile infrastructure project.

According to an agreement signed during Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's visit to China in June 2018, the China Railway First Survey and Design Institute conducted a one-month technical study on the proposed railway through different routes. During an official visit to Kathmandu by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in March, the two sides signed an agreement on technical assistance. The agreement stipulates that the costs related to the feasibility study will be borne by the Chinese government. Similarly, when the Chinese expert team conducts the feasibility study, the Nigerian side will be responsible for providing the basic data of the project to the Chinese side, collecting information data as required by the expert team, and sharing information with the Chinese technical assistance unit.

The Nepalese side will also be responsible for conducting environmental impact assessments in accordance with Nepalese laws and regulations, compiling resettlement plans, and preparing research reports on pre-project conditions. These reports will be reviewed and approved by the Government of Nepal to meet the needs of the feasibility study. The Nepalese side will provide convenience for the Chinese technical assistance unit to carry out the feasibility study of the China-Nepal cross-border railway project in Nepal, including but not limited to assigning personnel to take charge and ensure project coordination. The Nigerian side will provide safety guarantees for Chinese personnel working in Nepal, and provide roads, electricity and communication facilities for Chinese personnel working in Nigeria.

According to the economic and technological cooperation agreement between the Chinese and Nigerian governments signed on August 15, 2017, the relevant funds for the feasibility study will be assisted by the Chinese government free of charge, and the total cost of the feasibility study is about 180.47 million yuan. Editor/He Yuting