Special mango train from today

BSS, Rajshahi :
The West Zone of Bangladesh Railway is going to launch a ‘special mango train’ on Chapainawabganj-Dhaka route via Rajshahi today for the second consecutive time.
Nasir Uddin, Divisional Commercial Manager of the zone, said the initiative has also been taken to transport mangoes at a lower cost for welfare of the mango traders and farmers amid the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
“We have taken the decision of transporting mango to Dhaka from this mango producing area for the benefit of the growers and traders,” Nasir Uddin said .
The train will depart Chapainawabganj at 4.00 pm, while from Rajshahi station at 5.50 pm and ix expected to reach Dhaka at 2am.
The cargo train will carry a maximum 150 tons of mangoes in five wagons every day. So, farmers and traders can transport goods at their will. It will cost Tk 1.17 to carry a kilogram of mango to Dhaka from Rajshahi and the same is Tk 1.30 from Chapainawabganj to Dhaka.
Nasir Uddin mentioned that transport of mangoes in the special train would cost Tk 1,117 per ton whereas courier services cost Tk 20,000 per ton and private trucks cost around Tk 2,000 per ton.
The train will make a stoppage for loading mangoes at 14 stations on the Chapainawabgonj-Dhaka railway route via Rajshahi. The parcel train may have stoppages at other stations based on parcel booking and unloading.
In addition to mango, there is provision of carrying all kinds of vegetables, seasonal fruits, eggs and other agricultural products at cheaper rate in the special train, he added.
The railway porters will conduct all sorts of the loading and unloading works of the goods. To this end, the porters were imparted need-based training on how to handle the goods from booking to loading as well to unloading properly.