RAJSHAHI, July 17: The 'mango special train', carrying mangoes from the region to other parts of the country, has created much excitement among all.
At this full season, the nominal train-fare has freshly encouraged mango growers and traders here.
The Western Railway authority sources said they are hopeful about the train. It is plying on the Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi-Dhaka route for the first time with 14 stoppages.
They think this initiative of carrying mangoes by train has created a milestone. The railway authorities are trying to make the service successful. Local farmers and traders have taken the Mango Special Train as the mark of trust.
Railway sources said other than mangoes, different goods including agro-products are also being carried by this train. In the last three weeks till June 30, 5,10,406 kg mangoes were sent to Dhaka. A total of 1,10,537 kg were carried in the first week, 1,74,681 kg in the second week and 2,25,188 kg in the third week.
The train was launched on June 5 last. It is costing highest Tk 1.18 for carrying per kg mango from Rajshahi Railway Station to Dhaka Airport Station, Tejgaon Station and Kamlapur Station. From Chapainawabganj Station, the carrying cost of per kg mango is only Tk 1.31.
At the instruction of the prime minister, a meeting on mango collection, carrying and marketing was held on May 20 at the office of the Rajshahi deputy commissioner (DC) before the beginning of season. In that meeting, the decision about the special train was taken.
Earlier, amid corona pandemic, an initiative was taken to ensure uninterrupted trading of different seasonal fruits including mango and litchi and marketing of agro-products.
On May 16 last, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzak talked over video-conferencing with mango growers and traders. On that day, the matter of carrying mangoes by train was pointed out. Later, the Railway Minister Nurul Islam instructed the Western Railway authority to take step in this connection. Now the Mango Special Train is the result.
Divisional Commercial Officer (Pakshi) of the Western Railway Fuad Hossain Anand said the Mango Special Train has tantalised the Rajshahi regional mango growers.
He said as a result, the volume of mango carrying by the train is increasing every week. He hoped at the end of the season, the volume will be manifold.
Terming the PM's special facility package for the mango growers and traders as encouraging, he said bringing mangoes through courier services to Dhaka would cost a 99 per cent higher, meaning Tk 15 per kg.
General Manager of Western Railway Mihir Kanti Guha said it is just the beginning, and in the next season, they want to launch more such special services. Then the people in the capital Dhaka will get fresh and poison-free agro-products and the farmers will get good prices.
This special train is going to Dhaka from Chapainawabganj as Mango Special Train-2. It is returning from Dhaka to Chapainawabganj as Mango Special Train-1. The train maintains no weekly holiday.
The train leaves Chapainawabganj at 4pm every day and reaches Rajshahi Railway Station at 5:20pm. It maintains a 30-minute break at the station and leaves for Dhaka at 5:50pm.
The train reaches Dhaka at 1am at night and leaves the station at 2:15am. It reaches Rajshahi at 8:35am. Making a stay for 20 minutes, it leaves for Chapainawabganj and reaches the station at 10:15am.
