Kolkata Port (Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port)

Nepal's traditional sea gateway on the east coast.

Sea gatewayType
INCCUUN/LOCODE
Broad-gauge rail + roadMode to Nepal

About

Kolkata Port (officially the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata) is Nepal's traditional and still-heavily-used sea gateway under the Nepal–India Treaty of Transit. It is a riverine port on the Hooghly, so vessel draft is limited and larger ships often work the downstream docks at Haldia.

Role for Nepal cargo

Containers for Nepal move from Kolkata by broad-gauge rail to Raxaul, across the border from Birgunj, and on to the Birgunj ICD (Sirsiya) for Nepal Customs clearance. Congestion and dwell at Kolkata can be significant, which is a large part of why Visakhapatnam has grown as an alternative east-coast gateway.

How cargo reaches Nepal

Ocean vessel → Kolkata Port → Broad-gauge rail → Raxaul (border) → Birgunj ICD → Nepal market

Inland leg to Birgunj ICD: ~720 km · ~3–6 days (after port release). Mode: Broad-gauge rail + road.

Feeds the Birgunj ICD.

Track a container to NepalEstimate landed costView location ↗

Other gateway ports

HaldiaIndia · INHAL — Deeper-draft dock complex downstream of Kolkata.VisakhapatnamIndia · INVTZ — Deep-water east-coast port, Nepal's fast-growing alternative to Kolkata.Nhava ShevaIndia · INNSA — India's largest container port — the west-coast gateway for Europe, Gulf & Americas cargo.MundraIndia · INMUN — India's largest private port (Gujarat) — a west-coast option with strong rail links.MonglaBangladesh · BDMGL — Bangladesh's second seaport — an eastern-corridor alternative for Nepal.ChattogramBangladesh · BDCGP — Bangladesh's principal seaport — available to Nepal under transit arrangements.

Transit times and distances are indicative planning ranges, not quotes — confirm with your freight forwarder. See the shipping overview for the full corridor and transit-time tables.