The China Railway 25 Bureau Group Co Ltd of China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) on Thursday submitted a feasibility study report for the proposed monorail system along the 27-km Ring Road to Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC).

The preliminary study report has estimated a budget of Rs 116 billion for the construction of the project. The company has assured that it will submit the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the monorail within six-month. The report was submitted by the three representatives of CRCC to KMC Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya, in the presence of Deputy Mayor Hari Prabha Khadgi, Mayor of the Lalitpur Metropolitan City Chiri Babu Maharjan and journalists.

Nabin Pokharel, Nepal’s representative at the CRCC said, once the DPR is submitted, the construction of the Monorail will be completed within three years.

“The details are yet to come. The project will be constructed with total investment of Chinese government and the monorail will be operated by Chinese engineers for a period of two years,” said Pokharel, “The Chinese authorities will hand over the monorail to the Nepal government following which the government will operate the transport system to pay back the Chinese investment.”

Speaking at the programme Mayor Shakya said, he will leave no stone unturned to materialise the project. “They have submitted the preliminary report earlier than the deadline and I am sure the DPR will also be completed on time,” said Shakya, “We are committed to bringing the monorail for people living in the metropolises.  I have already consulted with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli regarding the same.”

The KMC mayor Shakya and CRC’s Corporation’s General Manager Li Hongqi had signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the preliminary study on May 25 in Kathmandu.