Kathmandu, May 16 The Investment Board Nepal (IBN) has said that it will publish a notice seeking expression of interest (EoI) to conduct the detailed feasibility study (DFS) of the Nagdhunga-Koteshwor-Dhulikhel metro rail project on Thursday. The 21-day notice will be open for all interested national and international companies. “We will publish a global tender calling on interested parties to submit EoI for Route Number 2 of the metro rail project,” said Maha Prasad Adhikari, CEO of IBN. Route Number 2 of the metro rail project comprises Nagdhunga-Kalanki-Koteshwor areas of Kathmandu Valley and Dhulikhel of Kavre district and will be 37 kilometres long. The preliminary study of the project was jointly prepared by the Department of Railways and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The government had directed IBN to prepare the DFS of the metro rail project of the Nagdhunga-Kalanki-Koteshwor-Dhulikhel section (Route Number 2), on April 30. “We will follow a transparent bidding process and Public Procurement Act to award the contract for the DFS,” Adhikari stated, adding that IBN will select a company within six months. He further said that the metro rail will be operated under the public-private partnership (PPP) model and IBN will select a company that also has experience of building projects under the aforementioned model. The 30th executive meeting of the IBN held under the leadership of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is also the chairman of IBN, mandated the IBN to conduct DFS for the proposed Route Number 2 of the Kathmandu Valley Metro Rail Project last month. The shortlisted firm will be given a deadline of 15 months to complete the DFS. “We will select an experienced and technically and economically viable company to prepare the feasibility report of the project,” said Adhikari. The proposed Route Number 1 of the Kathmandu Valley Metro Rail Project comprises the Budhanilkantha-Satdobato-Khokana sector. “The DFS will suggest the engineering and investment model of the project and after that the detailed project report (DPR) will spell out the actual cost and time that will be required to build the project,” Adhikari informed. IBN believes that the metro rail will sharply reduce the increasing problems of traffic congestion and pollution in the Valley.