By Bijay Kumar Sah
Dhalkebar, Feb. 11: Tourism entrepreneurs, industrialists and traders of Janakpur are happy after the confirmation of the operation of the railway service after nearly eleven years.
The tourism businessmen and traders are happy as the number of Indian tourists will increase and trade will flourish after the operation of the railway.

Nepal Railway Company is preparing to operate train services from Kurtha of Dhanusha to Jayanagar of India from February 13.
Janakpurdham, which is known as a religious city, has dozens of temples associated with Hindu religious creed including Janaki Mandir, Ram Mandir, Laxman Mandir, Bibaha Mandap, Dhanusha Mandir of Dhanushadham and Dasharath Lake.

Local businessmen have been considering the decline in the number of Indian tourists after the closure of train services in Janakpurdham.
Tourists from neighbouring India, South India, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Shimla, Uttarakhand and other Indian states used to visit Janakpurdham.

Pankaj Thakur, a local trader from Janakpurdam, said that the number of tourists is expected to increase after the resumption of the train service.
At present, Indian tourists have a lot of problems coming to Janakpurdham. He said that some are vising the place by reserving vehicles.

Jitendra Mahaseth, president of the Janakpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the business and tourism sector would benefit from the operation of train services as 5,000 people used to visit daily during the days when train services were operating.

He also said that it would be cheaper and easier for traders to import goods from India.
Mahaseth said it would directly benefit the overall trade including the tourism sector, hoteliers and retail trade.
General Manager of Nepal Railway Company Niranjan Jha said that the train service will be operational from February 13. He said that empty train will be operated once a day for the first 15 days and will be opened for passengers after the inauguration.

Stating that staff management has already been done for the operation of the train, General Manager Jha informed that work is underway to remove the huts and market stalls.
Equipment including engine, buggy, leak, track, light and signal lights have been tested and kept in readiness and if any defects are found during the test, maintenance is planned.
Similarly, the work of bringing LC gate (level crossing) gate, station, halt centre and other physical structures and technical maintenance is in the final stage, Jha said.
The 34.9 km long railway line from Kurtha to Jayanagar has 22 official and 17 unofficial LC gates.

Coordination is being done with the local level people's representatives for the management of unauthorized LC gates. There are five stations and three halt centres up to Kurtha-Jayanagar, Jha informed.
The two sets of trains purchased on 18 September 2020 from the Indian Railway Corporation for Rs. 846.5 million have been parked at Inaruwa of Janakandani Rural Municipality in Dhanusha district.