Rs 1.34 billion needed to revive railway

KATHMANDU, Aug 12: The struggling state-owned Janakpur Railway Company (JRC) has floated a long-term plan of action involving over Rs 1.34 billion to give a new lease of life to the loss making railroad and convert it into a profitable undertaking.



The plan includes immediate maintenance work on the railway engines, bogies and wagons and purchase of spares to bring the railway back into full operation.[break]



“In view of the historic importance of the 75-year-old railway line, we have proposed a long term plan costing Rs 1.34 billion to convert this loss maker into a vibrant service with daily revenue of Rs 100,000, through improvement of its entire physical infrastructure,” Suresh Prasad Yadav, general manager of JRC, told Republica.



The plan also includes expanding the railway service to 51-kilometers from the existing 29 km Janakpur-Jainagar run by repairing bridges, culverts and other infrastructure damaged by devastating floods a decade ago.



“ On the back of the phasing out of traditional narrow gauge railway lines in India, we have also suggested replacing the existing narrow gauge line with the modern broad gauge, and safeguarding and better management of the company´s properties to ensure their proper utilization,” said Yadav.



The company has been operating just one engine and providing one trip a day as the other two engines are under repair.



“We are providing our service to hardly 1,200 passengers and earning around Rs 30,000 a day and this revenue is not sufficient to cover even the monthly salaries of our 175 staffers. If we bring all three engines into full operation, we can earn Rs 100,000 daily and that would turn this ailing company into a profitable one,” said Yadav.



The company has sought the support of the Ministry of Labor and Transport Management (MoLTM) for the deployment of the Armed Police Force under the command of a deputy superintendent of police to improve security at the railway station and strictly enforce compulsory tickets for each and every passenger. Railway officials have been admitting that passengers travelling without paying fare is the major problem facing the company.



Meanwhile, the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the government to move the railway company from under MoLTM to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW) as MoPPW has already initiated the process for setting up a railway department.



At its meeting Thursday, the PAC directed the cabinet, the Finance Ministry, MoLTM and MoPPW to immediately sanction a budget for land acquisition for the construction of railway line along the border with India, and to operate more efficiently the existing narrow gauge Janakpur-Jainagar line until it is upgraded into broad gauge.



The PAC had summoned Minister for Physical Planning and Works Top Bahadur Raymajhi, Labor Minister Mohamad Istiyaq Rai, the secretaries of those ministries and officials of the railway company to seek from them details of the plan to revive the ailing railway company.

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