Kathmandu : India and Nepal may soon have new, direct railway links, which would connect Raxaul in Bihar, with Nepal's capital Kathmandu and Lumbini in Nepal with Nautanwa in Uttar Pradesh. As of now, there is one railway track between the two countries, which links Janakpur in Nepal with Jainagar in Bihar.

"The Indian Railway Minister, Mr. Lalu Prasad, is interested in building these links. We are presently doing our home-work for these proposals after which we would be inviting Mr. Prasad to visit us and work out the details," Nepal's Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Minister, Mr. Deep Kumar Upadhyay said in Kathmandu.

The 80-km rail link between Raxaul and Kathmandu would also touch Birganj and Hatauda, Mr. Upadhyay said.

Lumbini could be linked with Nautanwa or with Naurgarh in India. However, while building these links, the gauge width between the two countries would need to be harmonised.