[Nethra K Putti]

TRANS-ASIAN RAILWAY NETWORK

- on June 29, India signed the Inter-governmental agreement on the trans-asian railway that proposed to connect 28 nations. The network covers 80,900 km two of rail line, including 22,600 km in South Asia, Iran & Turkey. The southern corridor, as decided at an experts group meeting in Dhaka in 1999, begins in Kunning in China & Bangkok in Thailand & ends up in Kapikula in Bulgeria. The proposed route will enter India at Tamu bordering Myanmar. it will then turn towards Bangladesh at Malisasan / Shabajpur & again enter India from Bangladesh at Gede.

- A 315 km mising link on this route is between India & Myanmar of this, 180 km, in India in between Jiribam & Tamu in Manipur. on the west , the route enters Pakistan at Attari. apart from stregthening rail links in the north-east, the new network will give India an oppertunity to stregthening ties with South-East Asia & Europe, facilitating movement of goods & containers between SAARC & ASEAN countries & enhanced trade.

- The total length of the route between Bangkok & Kapikula is 11,460 km & it provides trans-continential connectivity to China, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Iran & Turkey. RAilway board chairman J.P.Batra signed the agreement at United Nations HeadQuaters in New York.

- earlier, 18 countries signed it at Bussan in Korea in November 2006. Now with India & Bangladesh signing it, 20 countries have become signatures. The network a project of the United Nations Economic & Social Commission for Asia & the Pacific aims at promoting infrastructure development in the ESCAP region.

[sivaharimani]

thank you for the good information

[vinayreddy]

It also connects Birgunj in Nepal via Raxaul in UP