Janakpur-Ayodhya rail launch preparations speed up ahead of PM's possible India visit

Preparations to launch a rail service between Janakpur and India's Ayodhya have intensified amid talk of a possible India visit by Prime Minister Balendra Shah.

According to Nepali officials, efforts will be made to finalize the service from the first week of Mangsir. Both internal preparations and discussions with the Indian side have been stepped up.

The proposal has been under discussion for a long time but has not reached a concrete conclusion so far. Officials say that with talk of PM Shah possibly making an official visit to India in Mangsir, India too appears positive about starting the service.

Some Nepali media reports have suggested that PM Shah and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi could jointly inaugurate the rail service. Officials say work is underway with that possible visit in mind as the target.