India and Nepal amend transit protocol to boost rail freight via Jogbani–Biratnagar
India and Nepal exchanged a Letter of Exchange amending the Protocol to the India–Nepal Treaty of Transit in New Delhi on 13 November 2025, during talks between Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Nepal's Industry, Commerce and Supplies Minister Anil Kumar Sinha.
Summary
The India–Nepal Letter of Exchange allows rail freight, including bulk cargo under an expanded definition, to move directly on the Jogbani (India)–Biratnagar (Nepal) rail link from the ports of Kolkata and Visakhapatnam to the Nepal Customs Yard in Morang district. The liberalisation covers the Kolkata–Jogbani, Kolkata–Nautanwa (Sunauli) and Visakhapatnam–Nautanwa (Sunauli) corridors and helps Nepal's trade with third countries. The Jogbani–Biratnagar link was built with Indian grant assistance and jointly inaugurated by the two Prime Ministers on 1 June 2023.
Key facts
- Instrument
- Letter of Exchange amending Protocol to Treaty of Transit
- Ministers
- Piyush Goyal; Anil Kumar Sinha (Nepal)
- Rail link
- Jogbani (India)–Biratnagar (Nepal)
- Corridors
- Kolkata–Jogbani; Kolkata/Visakhapatnam–Nautanwa (Sunauli)
- Destination yard
- Nepal Customs Yard, Morang district
- Link inaugurated
- 1 June 2023
Practice MCQs 2 questions
The Letter of Exchange signed by India and Nepal in November 2025 facilitates rail freight on which cross-border rail link?
Show answer
Correct answer: B — Jogbani–Biratnagar
The LoE enables direct containerised and bulk rail cargo on the Jogbani (India)–Biratnagar (Nepal) link.
Consider the following statements about the India–Nepal Letter of Exchange of November 2025: 1. It amends the Protocol to the India–Nepal Treaty of Transit. 2. The Jogbani–Biratnagar rail link it uses was jointly inaugurated by the two Prime Ministers on 1 June 2023. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
The LoE amends the Protocol to the Treaty of Transit, and the Jogbani–Biratnagar link, built with Indian grant aid, was inaugurated on 1 June 2023.