JICA to conduct pre-feasibility study of Ratnapark-Suryabinayak metro rail

The pre-feasibility study for the planned metro rail from Ratnapark in Kathmandu to Suryabinayak in Bhaktapur has been assigned to the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA. At the government's special request, JICA has agreed to conduct the study at its own expense and has set a deadline of six months to submit its report.

According to Sushil Babu Dhakal, joint secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, the study will examine the technical, economic, social, and environmental aspects of the rail route. It will also analyze the structures that need to be built and the feasibility of operating the rail.

Joint Secretary Dhakal also heads the Development Assistance Coordination and Quality Division. He said the decision on whether to implement the project, and in what form to move it forward, will be made only after the report is received. The study is linked to the valley's growing population and the problems of disorganized public transport and traffic congestion.