Bangladesh suspends ‘special agro-goods train’ after limited response

The train was supposed to make its second trip from Chapainawabganj’s Rahanpur to Dhaka on Saturday, but did not do so

The ‘Special Agricultural Goods Train’ has suspended operations from Chapainawbganj indefinitely after it failed to get much of a response.

The train was scheduled to depart Chapainawabganj’s Rahanpur for its second trip after its inauguration on Saturday, but the railway’s Pakshi division announced on Friday night that the train service was halted.

A notice signed by Md Nasir Uddin, the Pakshi division’s commercial officer, gave the order, according to Rahanpur Station Manager Mamunur Rashid.

The special train initiative was launched on Oct 16 in an attempt to cut down on freight costs for agricultural products. The first train set off from Chapainawabganj for Dhaka that day. But, as no produce was on the train, it set off from Rahanpur empty. No goods were placed on the train at subsequent stations either.

“On the first day after its inauguration, the agricultural goods special train set off, but no goods were loaded onto it at the Chapainawabganj’s Rahanpur, Nachol, or Amnura junctions,” Rashid said. “The train set off empty. As the second journey did not see much response for agricultural goods freight, the train service was suspended after only a single run.”

After the launch of the special train, railway officials said that the trains would depart from Khulna every Tuesday at 10:05am from Panchagarh every Thursday at 7am, and from Chapainawabganj every Saturday at 9:15am.

It was also supposed to take on more goods at different stations. The trains would all arrive at Dhaka’s Tejgaon Railway Station for their final stop.

It cost Tk 1.47 per kg to transport the goods by the special train from Khulna to Dhaka. The cost for Jashore was Tk 1.37, Chuadanga Tk 1.30, Ishwardi Tk 1.08, Parbatipur Tk 1.34, Joypurhat Tk 1.30, Santahar Tk 1.19, Rajshahi Tk 1.18, and Rahanpur Tk 1.30.

In addition to standard freight carriages, the special trains also had refrigerated luggage carriages for the transport of meat, fish, and other perishable products.

But, even after a massive publicity campaign, the trains that set off from Khulna and Panchagarh – like the one from Chapainawabganj – were mostly empty.