First Direct Freight Train from India Reaches Nepal Customs Yard

Key facts

• The first direct commercial freight train from India arrived at the Nepal Customs Yard in Biratnagar on July 20, 2026, carrying canola grains from Kolkata Port.
• The 40-wagon rake used the Jogbani-Biratnagar cross-border rail link, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on June 1, 2023.
• The train movement followed the signing of the Letter of Exchange in November 2025, amending the Protocol to the India-Nepal Treaty of Transit.
• The amended protocol 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.
• The direct rail service is expected to reduce logistics costs, improve transit efficiency, and boost bilateral trade between India and Nepal.