Mukul Kumar

Director Transport Planning

Ministry of Railways

Government of India

15 March, 2017

New Delhi

UN-ESCAP Meeting on

Strengthening Railway Transport Connectivity in south and South-

West Asia

South Asia -An Overview • In South Asian Region, infrastructure services not

sufficient → raise non-tariff costs and constrain trade and regional integration

• India in South Asian Region - Challenges of connectivity, missing links and lack of uniform technical standards.

• TAR – a major UN-ESCAP initiative to strengthen rail connectivity between Asia and Europe. Southern corridor covers extends through South Asian Region. For integration with South West Asia the main constraint is inter-operability of gauge and with South East Asia, mainly the missing links.

Connectivity with neighbouring countries

Gede

Tamu

TAR main link

TAR other routes

Missing Links

Break of Gauge

TAR Network in India

Mahisasan

India – Nepal – Bhutan – Bangladesh Railway Network

Existing Cross Border Railway links of India

• With Pakistan via Atari-Wagha and via Munabao-Khokharapar

• With Nepal via Raxaul-Birganj

• With Bangladesh via Gede-Darsana, Singhabad-Rohanpur and Benapole-Petrapole

New Connectivity Projects

• For connectivity with Bangladesh Agartala - Akhaura New Line (Trans Asian Railways missing

link segment) is undertaken.

• For connectivity with Nepal two projects have been sanctioned: Jogbani-Biratnagar link

Jayanagar-Bijalpura Gauge Conversion with extension to Bardibas

• For Connectivity with Myanmar Jiribam-Imphal new link is under construction and a Survey

has also been undertaken for linking Imphal – Moreh - This link will connect Indian Railways with Myanmar Railways in future.

Sub-regional connectivity – existing and New Links

India – Bangladesh Rail Links

Benapole - Petrapol

Gede - Darsana

Singhabad- Rohanpur

Freight Operation India - Bangladesh

• Fundamental and Subsidiary Rules for interchange of Railway Traffic and Working Agreements govern Train operations between India and Bangladesh

• Broad Gauge links at three locations provide for interchange of traffic viz. 1. Gede - Darshana, 2. Singhabad - Rohanpur and 3. Petrapole-Benapole.

• Rolling stock in good condition (covered wagons) shall be provided by IR and BR

• Joint Train Examination in both directions will take place at a single point

• Customs clearance will be arranged by IR and BR at their respective territory

Passenger Train service India - Bangladesh

• Working of trains governed by the Fundamental and subsidiary Rules and Running Power Agreement for interchange of Traffic

• Both IR and BR contribute equally towards the rolling stock – Locomotives provided by IR and BR on their respective territory

• Each Railway provide for primary maintenance of its rake.

• The crews and guards of IR and BR will man the trains over their respective territory

• Customs and Immigration clearance shall be arranged by IR and BR on their respective border stations

• Revenue apportionment on Km. basis, where IR gets 25% and BR gets 75% of the total revenue

Status of India–Bandladesh Rail connectivity Projects –

Akhaura – Agartala Railway Link

• Length: 15.064 km (Indian 5 km, Bangladesh -10 km)

• Anticipated cost - Rs. 580 crores on Indian portion and . 332 crores ($53.6 million) on Bangladesh portion

• The project is being undertaken by the IRCON international Ltd.

• Detailed Engineering Report prepared by IRCON has been accepted by the Bangladesh Railways and Indian Railways

Other rail connectivity projects with Bangladesh

• Haldibari – Chilahati – IR have taken up the work on the Indian portion for restoration of 4.5 km rail link upto the Bangladesh border

• Belonia – Feni : A survey was included in 2012-13:

Belonia is a station under construction on the Agartala – Sabroom new line project

A new line between Belonia (India) (3kms. Indian portion) with Belonia (Bangladesh), an existing station on Bangladesh.

Belonia - Feni is a 27 kms. long MG section which remains disuse.

From Feni – Chittagong 92 kms long MG track exists which is being converted to BG.

• Radhikapur- Birol : On Bangladesh side BG conversion is in progress. For re-opening this rail link, 500 metres of rail link on the Indian portion from Radhikapur upto the international border is to be restored

-

Extant practice of Train Operations India - Nepal

• Bilateral agreement governs the train operation between India and Nepal for carrying third country transit traffic and bilateral traffic on the Broad Gauge link between Raxaul (India) and Birganj (Nepal) is operational

• Indian Railways provide rolling stock

• Single waybill for the carriage of goods

• Train operation done by IR crew

• Presently Containers of ISO specifications loaded on flat wagons/Open wagons are interchanged

• BCN, BCNA,BCX (Covered wagons) and Tank wagons rakes are also be allowed

• Basic maintenance of wagons at Birganj

• Collection of freight by respective agencies over their respective territory

• Customs facilitation at Raxaul and the Gateway ports

Status of India–Nepal Rail connectivity Projects –

Jayanagar (India) to Bardibas(Nepal) New line Project:

• Length - 68.79 km (2.99 km in India and 65 .72 km in Nepal) - Gauge conversion from NG rail to BG (51.735 Km) and Construction of a new BG line (16.9 Km)

• Estimated cost Rs. 539.60 crs

• Formation and Bridge work in progress in available land.

• Overall physical progress 15%

• Target date 3 years on receipt of encumbrance free land

Jogbani (India) to Biratnagar (Nepal) New Line Project • Length -18.6 km (5.45 km in India and 13.15 km in Nepal)

• Anticipated cost - Rs. 406.8 crores

• Formation and Bridge work in progress in available land

• Overall physical progress 35%

• Target date 2 years on receipt of encumbrance free land

India Nepal New Lines Surveyed

S.No. From To Distance

( in Kms.)

1 Jogbani (India) Biratnagar (Birat nagar) 18

2 Jayanagar (India) Bijalpura (Nepal ) & extn. to

Bardibas

69

3 Nepalganj Road (India) Nepalganj (Nepal) 12

4 Nautanwa (India) Bhairahawa (Nepal) 15

5 New Jalpaiguri

(India)

Kakarbhita via Panittanki

( Nepal)

46

6 Khushinagar (India) Kapilavastu (Nepal) Survey in

progress

Projects mentioned in S.No. (1) and (2) are under implementation

India Nepal links surveyed

India Nepal links surveyed

India – Bhutan New lines Surveyed

From

To

Distance

( in Kms.)

Hasimara (India) Phuentsholing (Bhutan) 18

Rangia (India) Samdrupjongkhar Via

Darranga (Bhutan)

48

Kokrajhar (India) Gelephu (Bhutan) 58

Banarhat (India) Samtse (Bhutan) 23

Pathshala (India) Nanglam (Bhutan) 51

India Bhutan/Nepal New Lines surveyed

Indo-Myanmar Missing Link

TAMU MOREH

KALAY

Status of India–Myanmar Rail connectivity Projects –

• The missing rail link between India and Myanmar is from Jiribam - Moreh (Indian portion) - Tamu – Kaley (Myanmar portion)

• Incidentally, this alignment is a part of the southern corridor of the Trans-Asian Railway network

• New line project between Jiribam and Imphal (110 Kms. ) – estimated cost- 905 million US$ is undertaken by IR

• For the balance portion of the missing link on the Indian side between Imphal and Moreh (111 kms), a Survey has also been Undertaken by IR – estimated cost 820 million US$

• A Detailed Project Report is being considered for the construction of missing link between Tamu – Moreh - Kalay in the Myanmar side

Key challenges in Cross Border Railway Transport

• Congestion and delays at border stations, especially at

break of gauge points

• Complex border-crossing procedures and lack of harmonization in the documents required for different countries

• Different technical standards for rolling stock, power supply , braking systems and signaling systems

• Inspections on both sides of border crossings causing delays

• Different operating rules and tariff structures

• Different requirements for train drivers and crew

• Incompatible or non-existent cross border information and data transmission systems; and

• Lack of qualified manpower to operate cross border trains

Major Initiatives in the Region

• SAARC – Regional Railway Agreement: draft under finalisation at the SAARC Forum; presents standard governing principles for SAARC nations, and will supplement the existing bilateral agreements → stimulus to economic development of the region

• A BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India & Nepal) Railway Agreement is also being explored.

• UN-ESCAP-Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad Container train already operational : proposed to be extended to Kolkata and Dhaka- the South Asian region may become a major trade hub.

• Exploring the feasibility of running of container trains on Nepal – India – Bangladesh circuit.

Objectives of the Regional Rail Agreement (RRA)

1. To facilitate cross border transportation of goods and people between and among Contracting States;

2. To facilitate an efficient multimodal transport system for integration and for sustaining the economic growth and competitiveness of the region;

3. To strengthen connectivity and seamless passage for people of the region leading to enhanced trade and intra-regional people-to-people contacts;

4. To establish an effective, efficient, integrated and harmonized rail transportation system in the region;

5. To further the economic integration in the region;

6. To implement relevant provisions of the Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA);

Regional Rail Agreement

• Proposes to integrate the region by overcoming the physical and non-physical barriers which include : Development of missing links/new links - for seamless movement

A basic standard of technical characteristics common to all the SAARC countries including gauge harmonization and stock compatibility

Standardization of documentation and customs procedure

Maintenance and Operating Arrangements

Communication facilities – Dedicated lines

Safety & Security of Trains while in Transit

Aim of having common Railway Receipt/ Passenger Ticket for movement on the regional network

Visa facilities – Multiple entry visa valid for one year for Railway personnel on duty

Other possible measures for improvement

• Expanding the railway infrastructure including warehousing and handling yard

• Expanding Bank and forex facilities

• Integrated check posts as a single window facility covering customs, immigration and warehousing , health facilities etc.

• Adopting fast track cargo clearance system

• Promoting regional transit trade

• Simplified Agreement and standard legal regimes

Thank you