Indian Railways has operated the first direct commercial container freight train from Kolkata Port to Biratnagar in Nepal, according to a statement by the Ministry of Railways. The 40-wagon train carried a consignment of canola and ran under the revised India-Nepal Rail Transit Protocol, the Ministry said.
How the Kolkata Port-Nepal freight route works
The train moved containerised cargo from Kolkata Port to the Biratnagar Customs Yard without transhipment at the border, the statement said. Until now, freight bound for Nepal via this corridor typically required cargo to be unloaded and reloaded at the border point, adding time and cost to each consignment.
According to the Ministry, the arrangement is expected to cut transit time, reduce logistics costs and lower the number of times cargo needs to be handled during transportation. Officials said this should make cross-border trade between the two countries more efficient and competitive.
Jogbani-Biratnagar rail link powers new freight service
The service draws on the broad-gauge rail line connecting Jogbani in India with Biratnagar in Nepal, which was inaugurated in June 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal’s then Prime Minister. That link laid the physical infrastructure for cross-border rail movement, though commercial freight operations required a separate regulatory framework to become viable, the ministry said.
That framework came through a revised Letter of Exchange signed by the two countries in November 2025.
How the direct freight train will boost India-Nepal trade
The Ministry said the direct freight service is intended to give exporters, importers and logistics operators a faster and more economical alternative for moving cargo between the two countries. By cutting down on multiple handling points, the service is also expected to improve supply chain reliability for businesses trading across the border.
India and Nepal have steadily expanded rail links in recent years as part of efforts to deepen bilateral trade ties. The Kolkata-Biratnagar service adds a direct freight corridor to that network, connecting one of eastern India’s key ports to an industrial hub in eastern Nepal.