First Direct Container Train from Kolkata Reaches Nepal’s Biratnagar

India and Nepal have opened a new chapter in cross-border trade with the successful operation of the first direct commercial container freight train from Kolkata Port to the Biratnagar Customs Yard in Nepal.

The 40-wagon train carried a consignment of canola and completed the journey under the revised India–Nepal Rail Transit Protocol. The arrangement enables containerised cargo to move directly from Kolkata Port to Biratnagar without transshipment at the border, reducing repeated handling, transit delays and logistics expenses.

The service uses the broad-gauge rail link connecting Jogbani in Bihar with Biratnagar, which was inaugurated in June 2023. Direct commercial freight operations became possible following the signing of a revised Letter of Exchange between India and Nepal in November 2025.

Biratnagar is one of Nepal’s principal industrial and commercial centres. A direct connection with Kolkata Port can provide businesses in eastern Nepal with more reliable access to maritime trade routes while improving cargo movement for importers, exporters and logistics operators in both countries.

Removing border transshipment is expected to reduce the risk of cargo damage, simplify documentation and improve delivery predictability. Rail transport can also move large volumes more efficiently than road-based alternatives while producing lower emissions per unit of freight.

The new service strengthens India’s role as Nepal’s principal transit partner and supports closer integration of ports, railway networks, customs facilities and inland industrial centres. It also advances Indian Railways’ wider effort to develop cross-border freight corridors that promote regional trade and improve ease of doing business.

Regular operation of the Kolkata–Biratnagar route could encourage more containerised cargo to shift from road to rail and create opportunities for additional services connecting Nepal with Indian ports and production centres.

Reference

Press Information Bureau, Government of India. “India’s First Direct Commercial Container Freight Train Reaches Nepal, Opening a New Chapter in Cross-Border Trade and Connectivity.” Ministry of Railways, 28 July 2026.