A dedicated goods train, dubbed the ‘Kanda Express’, set off from Lasalgaon bound for Delhi
NASHIK: A special goods train carrying around 450 metric tonnes of onions left Lasalgaon, Asia’s largest wholesale onion market in Maharashtra ’s Nashik district, for Delhi on Wednesday as the Centre moved to augment supplies in the national capital amid rising onion prices . The 21-bogie train, named ‘Kanda Express’, departed Lasalgaon at around 3.10pm after a delay and is expected to reach Delhi late on Thursday, officials said. The Centre has decided to send 840 MT of onions to Delhi from its buffer stock procured under the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) to provide relief to consumers. The train reached Lasalgaon railway station around 11.50pm on August 24 and was originally scheduled to leave for Delhi around 7am on August 25. Eventually, only around 450 MT was loaded instead of the planned 840 MT. “Around 450 MT of onions are being taken to Delhi by the Kanda Express (onions are called ‘kanda’ in Marathi). Dubey said a mail or express train normally takes around 22 to 24 hours to travel from Nashik to Delhi, while a goods train could take longer.
We are making efforts to ensure the train reaches its destination as soon as possible so that the people of Delhi get some relief,” said Pritesh Dubey, station manager, Lasalgaon. Police intervened and detained the protesters, allowing the train to resume its journey to Delhi. (With PTI inputs) You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Nashik | Silver Rate in Nashik | Bank Holidays in Nashik | Public Holidays in Nashik | Petrol Price in Nashik | Diesel Price in Nashik | CNG Price in Nashik | LPG Price in Nashik Stay updated with the latest Nashik news. The train was arranged following directions from the Department of Consumer Affairs as part of efforts to control rising onion prices in Delhi markets. However, loading was delayed as the onions could not be packed into sacks on time. It will reach Adarshnagar, a station near Delhi. The departure was briefly disrupted after Prahar Janshakti Party north Maharashtra chief Ganesh Nimbalkar and other activists staged a protest on the railway tracks against transporting onions from Lasalgaon, a major trading hub for the crop. Download the TOI App.