Nepal chooses Sharjah sky pods system to boost transport network

Sky pods running on the latest string technology will be used commercially in Nepal after a Dubai company was chosen to develop a $35 million, 7km electrified commuter track.

Similar to a cable car but using more efficient technology to carry autonomous uBus pods travelling in excess of 100kph, the Nepalese government has signed a contract with Dubai-based uScovery.

The company is a branch of Unitsky String Transport (UST), a Belarussian development firm that has been running a 400-metre test track at Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park since 2021.

Bus is currently the only mode of public transport in Biratnagar, in Nepal’s Koshi province, where traffic congestion is a problem. By connecting an Indian border checkpoint with the city’s bus station, the aerial electric-run pod system aims to cut the congestion.

With plans to open the line within three years, it is expected to be used by thousands of commuters and those travelling between Nepal and India for medical treatment. Oleg Zaretskiy, chief executive of uScovery, said the system could serve about 10 million journeys a year.

“Nepal has chosen this because it is very economical and there is no other option for any other kind of transport, like rail or a metro line, because it's very expensive,” Mr Zaretskiy told The National.

“The costs will be paid by a private company, but the government is providing the land and a guarantee for some passenger flow, and a minimum number of passengers that will travel. Biratnagar is a very crowded place, as people are coming to the railway from the Indian side, crossing the border and then they need to reach the central bus station.”

Affordable mass transport

The sky pods move independently on high-tensile steel rails, rather than on a conventional pulley system of a typical cable car, at a cost of just $200-a-metre, UST developers have said.

Development costs in Nepal are expected to be $30 million-$35 million, depending on what size of pods are chosen for the network. There is no expected cost for the end user at this stage.

The company already operates a short, commercial track in Belarus and is exploring another 400m line at Gokak Waterfalls, in Kornakata state, India.

“There is huge interest in this in Nepal, as the government included transport as a priority policy,” said Mr Zaretskiy. “It's the same design as the Sharjah track with the size of the pods and the speed, everything else we are doing the concept design for now. The project will be as economical as possible, and everything will be electric. There will be a traction power station and each machine will be equipped with backup batteries as well, so the concept is the same.”

An agreement with Nepal was signed during the recent Koshi Investment Summit to complete the project within three years and potentially extend the system to cover 45km across the region.

The company earmarked to operate the aerial system is the Kathmandu Podway Company Pvt Ltd, founded in 2020. It aims to introduce eco-friendly urban transport to Nepal, a country with notoriously poor air quality caused by traffic and kilns used in industry, waste burning, heating and cooking.

Air quality

The most recent Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) from 2024 ranks Nepal third on a list of the most polluted nations, with an extremely high density of PM2.5 particles known to cause life-limiting respiratory problems.

According to the 2024 State of Global Air Report, poor air quality in Nepal contributed to 48,500 deaths in 2021.

“Since 2020, we have worked relentlessly to advocate for changes in transport laws and policies to support modern mobility solutions,” said Nil Bhattarai, vice president of the Kathmandu Podway company. “This project’s affordability and rapid build will be a game-changer for Koshi Province, driving economic growth, tourism and infrastructure development.”

With a metro system and high-speed rail links considered too expensive to build and run in Nepal, decision-makers have turned to alternative public transport to ease congestion in some of the country’s busiest areas.

Aasish Gajurel, chief executive of the government’s Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board, said the sky pods would bring more green transport solutions to the country.

“The government has signed this contract with the private sector to first conduct a study and then develop under Public Private Partnerships (PPP),” said Mr Gajurel. “This is a huge step towards the development of podrails in Nepal. It has also shown that the government of Nepal is seriously considering this technology.

"Nepal cannot afford metro rail, therefore the government is convinced to develop this technology to improve transportation systems in Nepal, as this technology is relatively cheap and can be constructed in less time," he added. "Every Nepali will benefit from this project as people are suffering with their commute everyday.”