CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli accompanied by his party leaders visited Nepal-China border point in Rasuwagadhi on Tuesday.

They inspected the route that is expected to extend from Chinese border to Nepal possibly after 2020.

Chinese leaders, during their meetings with Nepali leaders, have assured that Chinese rail will reach Nepal-China border by 2020 and that they were eager to expand the rail line beyond the border.

Rasuwagadhi is currently the only route connecting China’s Tibet with Nepal after the northern neighbour decided to close the Kodari route and replace it with the mountain crossing at Rasuwagadhi following the devastating earthquake of 2015. 

During the visit, the UML leaders inquired about the possibility of cross-border railway connectivity. Though Oli has been considering bringing Chinese train to Nepal via this border point the infrastructure on the Nepal side is poor.  

The former prime minister was accompanied by UML General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel, leader Bishnu Paudel, former Speaker Subas Nembang and Secretary Shankar Pokharel, among others.

After visiting the border point, they attended a programme organised at Timure Bazaar in Gosainkunda Rural Municipality-2 of Rasuwa.

Addressing the programme, Oli said that the Rasuwagadhi border point would be elevated to international border point. 

Saying that the planned railway project connecting Rasuwagadhi-Kathmandu would soon be extended to Pokhara-Lumbini, Oli announced that the existing two-lane Galchi-Trishuli-Mailung Rasuwagadhi road would also be expanded into a four-lane road.

Oli had visited Beijing in 2016 as the prime minister and singed the landmark Transit Agreement with the Chinese government, paving way for Nepal to use the Chinese ports for import and export.

The agreement with China will come into effect soon and Rasuwagadhi would be up graded as international border point, Oli said.