The Chinese government will construct 30 kilometers of tunnel way to to cut the distance between Kathmandu and the Chinese border point Kerung by almost half.
This will be announced along with other agreements on the second day of two-day state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday.
Senior government sources have confirmed with Setopati that China has agreed to construct the tunnel way, to be built at two different stretches, in grant. The first stretch will link Tokha of Kathmandu with Chhahare of Nuwakot, and the second Betrawati and Syafrubesi of Rasuwa district.
The Tokha-Chhahare stretch of the tunnel way will be four kilometers long, according to the latest study. "We have proposed that this should be extended to eight kilometers. The main turns in the road will be covered if it were extended to that length," a government source revealed.
The second stretch will be 17-24 kilometers long. It will be 24 kilometers if the tunnel were to start from Syafrubesi and end at Betrawati, and will be 17 kilometers if it were to start from just above Rasuwa district headquarters Dhunche.
"Where the tunnel will start from will be decided after detailed study," the source added. "The studies done until now show that the two stretches of tunnel way will add up to around 30 kilometers."
The distance between Kathmandu and Kerung will fall to 82 kilometers from 145 kilometers after completion of the tunnel way.
The problem of recurrent landslides in the Kathmandu-Kerung road will be solved and it can operate round the year after the tunnel way is completed.
This means that Nepal and China will no longer be under pressure to build railway immediately. Railway connectivity with China is the dream project of Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli but technical and financial complexities and challenges about Kathmandu-Kerung railway have come to the fore in recent times.
Pre-feasibility study done by China has put the cost at around Rs 300 billion and required time at at least nine years. The countries are hesitant and have yet to start feasibility study and detailed project report owing to the challenges.
They are likely to announce feasibility study for the railway on Sunday, according to the source.
The agreement to construct the tunnel way to cut the distance between Kathmandu-Kerung by almost half will give the two countries sufficient time to think about cost and benefits of the railway before taking any decision.
