New Delhi: The first 'Kisan Rail' from south India arrived in Delhi's Adarsh Nagar railway station on Friday (September 11) morning. The newly introduced train started from Anantapuramu on Wednesday (September 9) carrying 322 tonnes of fresh fruits and vegetables.
The train was flagged off by Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday via a video link from New Delhi and Amaravati.
The inaugural Kisan Rail was loaded with Tomato, Bananas, Sweet Orange, Papaya, Muskmelons and Mangoes which came from Andhra Pradesh. The rakewas loaded with 14 parcel vans – 4 vans load meant for Nagpur and another 10 Vans load for Adarsh Nagar – totaling 332 tonnes.
The train provides fast transport connectivity between Anantapur to New Delhi as it covers a distance of 2150 Km in approximately 40 hours.
Anantapur is the Fruit Bowl of Andhra Pradesh and more than 80% of the 58 lakh MT of fruits vegetables in the district is marketed out of the state, particularly to the north Indian states of Delhi, UP, Punjab, and Haryana among others.
Earlier this was being transported by roadways which were not only time taking but also leading to a reduction in price realisation of the farmers due to en route damages. Transportation by railway provides safe, reliable, and fast transportation which will aid in better price realization for the farmers and thereby helping in better incomes for the farmers and traders.
Notably, the Kisan Rail is planned to be run once a week now but as harvesting picks up after October, the frequency may be increased from January based on the demand.
