The West Zone of Bangladesh Railway will launch a 'Special Mango Train' on the Chapainawabganj-Dhaka route via Rajshahi from June 10 for the fifth consecutive time.
This time, the special train will depart from Rohanpur railway station at 4pm and reach Dhaka at 2.15am with stoppages at 14 stations via Padma Bridge with facilities for transporting mangoes safely at low cost and in less time.
The special mango train will consist of six luggage vans and can carry 172.98 tonnes of mangoes, reports BSS.
A kilogram of mango will cost Tk 1.43 to carry to Dhaka from Rajshahi, and it will cost Tk 1.48 to carry it from Chapainawabganj to Dhaka.
The Railway West Zone officials revealed this at a seminar titled "Mango transportation to different districts from Rajshahi division through railway" on Saturday.
The commissioner's office of Rajshahi division organised the seminar at its conference hall supported by the railway ministry discussing and devising ways to make mango transportation from the region through railway successful.
Railway Minister Zillul Hakim addressed the seminar as chief guest, while Divisional Commissioner Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir was in the chair.
MP Shafiqur Rahman Badsha, MP Abul Kalam, Railway Secretary Humayun Kabir, Bangladesh Railway Director General Sardar Shahadat Ali, General Manager of the West Zone Asim Kumar Talukder, Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Biplob Bijoy Talukder and Additional Deputy Inspector General of Police of Rajshahi Range Saiful Islam also spoke.
The meeting was told that the railway had transported 39,95,798 kilograms of mangoes, earning revenue worth about Tk 46,29,140 during the last four years since 2020.
Sharing their views, mango farmers, traders, entrepreneurs, and exporters unequivocally called for solving the existing problems related to the transportation of mangoes through the railway to make the venture popular.
The railway minister urged the mango traders, businessmen and exporters to transport their mangoes to different areas from the Rajshahi region through the railway as it is low-cost and safe.
"We are working relentlessly to make the railway eligible for mango transportation as per the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," he said, adding that full-length support from all stakeholders is needed to this end.
Referring to the existing problems in terms of transporting mangoes through the railway, Zillul assured that all the problems will be solved by making the railway for mango transportation popular.
He also said they have taken steps to sign a memorandum of understanding with some of the courier services related to mango transportation by the railway.
