Study on Route Planning of Rail Transit along Kathmandu Ring Road

Abstract

It couldn’t radically improve the traffic situation of Kathmandu Ring Road to partly repair, maintain and widen road. It has the leading function for local economic to develop transportation properly in advance. The proverb “if you want to be rich, you should build road at firstâ€, is the successful development experience. Planning and building rail traffic should be the primary strategy action for Nepal and Kathmandu who are probing on new development. The length of Kathmandu Ring Road is 27.4km, the highest altitude 1341m, the lowest altitude 1276m, the largest elevation difference 65m, and with a small hypsography, enough reserved width. Generally the height of buildings along Ring Road is not very high, construction density low, so that the condition for building rail transit along Ring Road is convenient. Since high cost, the subway isn’t right for Nepal and Kathmandu. Local people would like shadow rather than sunshine, and current people flow by section at rush hour is 10,000~20,000 persons per hour, therefore the overhead light rail is the most right option for the rail transit along Kathmandu Ring Road. In the suggested project, there are 19 stations along the whole line, the average distance 1.45km between two stations, the longest one 1.8km and the shortest one 1.1km. The whole route is on ground (including viaduct), but when necessary, some stations and route sections may be underground.