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Rail projects to cost Nepal Rs 800b
KATHMANDU, AUG 10 -
A preliminary report prepared by RITES India has projected a total cost of Rs. 800 billion for the Mechi-Mahakali and Kathmandu-Pokhara Electric Railway projects which are targeted to be completed within the next 10 years. The cost is equivalent to the country’s annual budget of three fiscal years.
“It’s a huge project and even if the government allocates Rs. 100 billion annually in the budget,
it will take around 10 years for completion,” said Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, joint secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works. “After the submission of the final feasibility report, we will send it to responsible bodies for discussion, start the work for a detailed project report (DPR) and also look for donors.”
The ministry has proposed Rs. 150 million for the DPR in the current fiscal year.
The final feasibility report on the construction of the 1317.47 km-long electric railways will be submitted to the government within a week addressing some concerns regarding the linking points put forward by the National Planning Commission (NPC). The NPC has asked RITES to include Hetauda, Chatara and Karnali Chisapani in the railway alignment.
“The draft report submitted by RITES has shown that the projects are viable in the country,” said Sitaula. “However, they have stated that the cost would increase if the points mentioned by the NPC are included in the project because the points are located in hilly areas needing tunnelling.”
An estimated 40 km will be added to the total length of the Mechi-Mahakali Electric Railway if the project considered the points mentioned by the NPC.
According to the final draft report of RITES, the total length of the recommended alignment is 1317.47 km, including 945.24 km of Mechi-Mahakali, 183 km of the Kathmandu Pokhara Electric Railway and 71.72 km (Tamsariya to Abukhaireni) of the connection between Mechi-Mahakali and Kathmandu-Pokhara Electric Railway. The railway network will have 56 tunnels and 1,870 bridges in various sections of both projects. There will be in total four terminal stations, nine junction stations, one customs station and 122 intermediate stations on the railway network. However, the number does not include six stations near the Indian border up to which rail connectivity has been already planned under separate projects.
Sitaula said that of the total length of the Kathmandu-Pokhara Railway, 107 km length would need tunnelling because of which the total cost of the Kathmandu-Pokhara alone would cost around Rs. 300 billion. “We are planning to build terminal stations between the area of Balaju and Sanglakhola,” he added.
According to the report, the network will be built in broad gauge 1676 mm and the speed of the rails would be 90 km to 160 km per hour depending up on the geographical location.
Posted on: 2010-08-11 07:56
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