The first direct commercial freight train carrying a consignment of canola grains arrived at the Nepal Customs Yard in Biratnagar from Kolkata Port on July 20, marking the operationalisation of the amended India-Nepal rail transit framework.
How the freight movement took shape
The 40-wagon freight train reached Biratnagar via the Indian Customs Yard at Jogbani, becoming the first commercial cargo train to use the cross-border rail corridor since India and Nepal signed a Letter of Exchange (LoE) in November 2025, amending the Protocol to the India-Nepal Treaty of Transit. Officials said the movement represents the practical implementation of the amended framework and enables full commercial use of the rail link.
Background on the Jogbani-Biratnagar rail link
The Jogbani-Biratnagar broad-gauge rail link was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on June 1, 2023, built with grant assistance from the Government of India. Commercial operations required amendments to the transit protocol, achieved when both sides signed the Letter of Exchange on November 13, 2025, in the presence of Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Nepal’s then Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Anil Kumar Sinha.
What the amended protocol allows
The framework permits direct rail movement of containerised and bulk cargo from Kolkata and Visakhapatnam ports to designated rail points in Nepal, including the Nepal Customs Yard at Biratnagar.
Expected impact on bilateral trade
The direct rail service is expected to reduce logistics costs, improve transit efficiency for Nepal, strengthen its access to Indian ports, boost bilateral trade, and reinforce India’s role as Nepal’s principal transit partner.
