Nepal and Tibet in China are neighbors bordering each other, both famous for the beautiful natural sceneries and profound Buddhism culture. However, blocked by the high Himalayas Mountains, the two can only "hear" from each other, rather than "paying" a visit frequently. Thus, China - Nepal Railway Line emerges as the time requires. It will make the trip from Nepal to China by train and vice versa possible for both Buddhists and tourists.

China - Nepal Train Running Route

It will start from Shigatse in Tibet to Katmandu, Nepal's capital city. The designed top speed will only be 75mi/h (120km/h) at most, because of the remarkable elevation changes and challenging Himalayan terrain. Going through Tibetan Plateau, it will be the world's highest rail road, another miracle after Tibet railway which is the first railroad built on that plateau. 

 

Nepal - China Railway Project will go via Gyirong Pass, rather than the rumored Zhangmu Pass to avoid the Mount Everest. It is planned to be built in two phases.

 

 Shigatse-Gyirong Railway: It is an extension of Lhasa-Shigatse Railway, measuring about 336 miles (540 km). It has been put into construction, and is expected to be completed by 2020.

Gyirong - Katmandu Railway: Because this rail line will be more likely to go through Himalayas, a long tunnel needs to be dug. This will be an arduous work and many difficulties remain to be overcome. The construction is scheduled to begin in 2020 and is expected to be done by 2022.
Firstly, it will contribute a lot to the tourism industry of both countries, especially Nepal. China is the second largest group of inbound tourists to Nepal. However, the expensive flight tickets and time-consuming and dangerous international coaches stop the feet of many travelers. Once the railroad is put into operation, a quick transfer by Tibet to Katmandu train will be possible and it will be much safer and cheaper. This will also greatly promote the Buddhism exchanges between the two countries.

Also, there is no doubt that the international trade between the two countries will be greatly increased. Currently, only two roads and a few flight are connecting the two countries, which cannot meet the transportation demands at all.

Lastly, except the Indian transportation line, Nepal will have another line to get what they need such as oil from China through Lhasa - Katmandu Railway.
1. Traveling by flight:
Now, you can make a quick transfer between the two countries by flight. Direct flights are catchable between Katmandu and Lhasa and Chengdu; the duration is 1.5 and 3 hours respectively and ticket fare for economy class is about CNY 2,300 and CNY 2,200 respectively.

2. Traveling by coach:
The coaches are running between Lhasa and Katmandu via Gyirong Pass. Previously, tourists can also go via Zhangmu Pass, but it has been closed since April 25th, 2015 for safety reasons after the Nepal earthquake.

Note:
All international travelers who visit Tibet are required to apply for a Tibet Travel Permit ahead of the trip, and usually they can only obtain the permit through a travel agency. In this case, you can only go from Lhasa to Katmandu with the assistance of a travel agency.