China-nepal rail link may take 9 yrs: Report

KATHMANDU: A recent technical study of Nepal-china cross border rail survey has indicted that the construction of the Kerungkathmandu rail link would be completed in nine years with the investment of $2.57 billion.

According to technical study conducted by China Railway First Survey and Design Institute, a complicated geological terrain and laborious engineering workload will be the most significant obstacles to building the rail line, which would linking Kerung and Kathmandu.

Apart from frequent drillings and building ramps along the slope of the Himalayas, the railway will considerably face geological challenges as it would pass through the rough Himalaya weather and highly seismic zones.

Over 90% of the railway line will be tunnel and bridges, according to the report.

However, the detailed project report (DPR) of the link and its funding modality is yet to be agreed upon by the two sides.

To discuss the prefeasibility study of the project, China has invited a team of Nepalese officials to the city of Xi’an, where the technical details will be discussed on Monday and Tuesday. If convinced, the Nepal officials will sign an agreement to conduct the DPR, that is expected to be completed in nine months.

The Nepalese side will also request the Chinese to fund the project, as it is technically very challenging and costly for Kathmandu, according to senior divisional engineer at the department of railways, Prakash Bhakta Upadhyaya.

MAGNITUDE 8.2 QUAKE STRIKES IN THE PACIFIC

A massive quake of magnitude 8.2 struck in the Pacific Ocean close to Fiji and Tonga on Sunday but it was so deep that it did not cause any damage, authorities in Fiji said.

The US Tsunami Warning Center also said the quake was too deep to cause a tsunami.

The quake’s depth at 560 km would have dampened the shaking at the surface.