Indian Railways ran its first direct container freight train from Kolkata Port to Biratnagar, Nepal, skipping border transshipment entirely.

According to the Ministry of Railways, the 40-wagon train operated under an updated transit agreement between the two nations and transported a consignment of canola.

Until now, cargo heading to Nepal through this route had to be unloaded at the border and reloaded onto a different train, a process that added both time and cost to every shipment.

This run did away with that step altogether, letting containers travel straight from the port to Nepal’s customs yard without ever being touched in between.

The Ministry expects this to cut down transit time, bring logistics costs lower, and reduce how often cargo gets handled along the way.

Officials said the change should make trade between the two countries noticeably more efficient.

None of this would have been possible without the physical rail line linking Jogbani in India to Biratnagar in Nepal, which opened back in June 2023.

That infrastructure existed for a while, but running actual commercial freight on it needed a separate regulatory push.

That push came through a revised Letter of Exchange the two governments signed in November 2025, which finally cleared the way for this kind of direct service.

For businesses trading across the border, the appeal is straightforward. In general, a supply chain with fewer handling points is more predictable and has less opportunities for damage or delays.

The Ministry is hoping this becomes a more attractive option for exporters and importers who currently rely heavily on road transport for cross-border cargo.

India and Nepal have been steadily building out their rail connections in recent years, and this new freight corridor adds another direct link between eastern India and an industrial hub in eastern Nepal.

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