Mango special train from June 10

The West Zone of Bangladesh Railway will launch a ‘special mango train’ on Chapainawabganj-Dhaka route via Rajshahi from June 10 for the fifth consecutive time although it is a loss project.

The Railway West Zone officials revealed this at a seminar titled ‘Mango transportation to different districts from Rajshahi division through railway’ on Saturday.

Commissioner office of Rajshahi division organized the seminar at its conference hall supported by the railway ministry discussing and devising ways and means on how to make the mango transportation from the region through railway successful.

Railway Minister Zillul Hakim addressed the seminar as the chief guest while Divisional Commissioner Dr Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir was in the chair.

Prof Shafiqur Rahman Badsha, MP, Abul Kalam, MP, Railway Secretary Dr Humayun Kabir Director General of Bangladesh Railway Sarder Shahadat Ali, General Manager of the West Zone of Bangladesh Railway 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.

This time, the special train will depart from Rohanpur railway station at 4 pm and reach to Dhaka at 2.15 am with stoppage at 14 stations via Padma Bridge with facilities of transporting mangoes safely with low-cost and less-time.

Consisting of six luggage vans, the special mango train will have the capacity of carrying 172.98 tonnes of mangoes.

It will cost Taka 1.43 to carry a kilogram of mango to Dhaka from Rajshahi, and it is Taka 1.48 from Chapainawabganj to Dhaka.