The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- India has run its first direct commercial container freight train from Kolkata Port to Biratnagar Customs Yard in Nepal, carrying 40 wagons of canola.
- The service marks the operationalisation of the revised India-Nepal Rail Transit Protocol, allowing cargo to move by rail without transhipment at the border.
- Officials say this is expected to cut transit time, logistics costs and cargo handling while improving trade efficiency between the two countries.
- The development builds on the Jogbani-Biratnagar broad-gauge link inaugurated in June 2023 and a revised Letter of Exchange signed in November 2025.
What to watch next
- Whether regular direct freight services on this route follow and expand in volume
- Further steps to operationalise the revised Rail Transit Protocol
- Any reported reductions in transit time and logistics costs for traders
Coverage1
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English national1
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Named India · Nepal · Biratnagar Customs Yard · Jogbani · Kolkata Port · Kapinjal Kishore Sharma · Narendra Modi · Northeast Frontier Railway
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