A special mango train has been launched on the Rahanpur-Chapainawabganj-Dhaka route for the transportation of the summer fruit at low cost.
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan inaugurated the service at Chapainawabganj Railway Station at 11am on Thursday.
This special mango train service is initiated every year to facilitate the transportation of the abundantly produced mangoes in the northern region of Bangladesh.
The objective is to support the proper marketing of the mangoes produced in this region.
The special service, first introduced in 2020, is now marking its fourth year of operation.
Dhaka TribuneThe special train will operate seven days a week and stop at 14 stations along the Rahanpur-Chapainawabganj-Dhaka route.
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan termed Chapainawabganj the capital of mangoes and said Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj are well-known specifically for mangoes.
“This area produces an abundance of mangoes, which are not only sent across Bangladesh but also exported abroad,” he added.
“Transportation of mangoes via any means other than trains takes more time, causing mangoes to go bad and transportation costs to rise. Considering all these factors, the special mango train is launched every year to ensure that the mango farmers in this region can profit from mango farming, and people across the country can enjoy good mangoes,” said Sujan.
Addressing the issue of increased transportation costs, the railways minister said that although the fares of all other transportation modes have increased in the country, train fares have remained the same.
Dhaka TribuneThe rail fares have been kept constant to facilitate transportation for ordinary people, students, and those in need, he added.
Referring to the fact that cattle are transported from various places in the country by train at a low cost, Sujan mentioned plans to initiate cattle transportation from Chapainawabganj in the future as well.
The railways minister also shared plans to resume train services from Chapainawabganj, which have been suspended since the outbreak of Covid-19, by July.
Responding to the demands of the residents of Chapainawabganj, he promised to launch a shuttle train service by September.
Nurul Islam Sujan also highlighted various development initiatives of the government and called on everyone to work unitedly for development and peace.
The cost of transporting mangoes from any station from Rahanpur to Rajshahi to Dhaka will be Tk1.31 per kg, while from Rajshahi to Abdulpur to Dhaka, the cost of transporting 1kg of mango will be Tk1.17 per kg.
