The Mango Special Train, which has been running from Chapainawabganj via Rajshahi to Dhaka carrying mangoes of farmers and traders, is incurring huge loss. The train started its maiden journey in 2020 and so far it has counted a loss of nearly Tk 1.6 million( 16 lakh).
Aiming to decrease the loss, the train started to carry cattle heads before the Eid-ul-Azha in addition to mango but due to the non-interest of the farmers and traders, sufficient mangoes and cattle heads are not being carried through the train. As a result, the train has incurred a loss this year as well.
Railway authorities, however, informed, it is not a matter of profit or loss, this train has been introduced for the interest of farmers and traders. But, the farmers and the traders mentioned, though mangoes can be carried through train at a low cost, the transport cost rather increased due to carrying the mangoes to and from the railway station. This is also troublesome, they added.
Chief Mechanical Engineer office sources of West Zone railway informed it requires nearly 1,000 litres of diesel to travel the train to and from Chapainawabganj to Dhaka. Excepting other costs, even the cost of diesel is not realised from the fare collected from the ticket money for carrying mangoes and the cattleheads.
Chief Commercial Manager Office sources of West Zone railway informed, the mango special train moved 46-day, from June-5 to July-21 for the first time in 2020 and carried 1,200 metric tons of mango. The fuel (diesel) price costed nearly Tk 29 lakh 90 thousand the same year for 46 days of transport while the railway authorities earned Tk 13 lakh 37, 536 the same year incurring a loss of estimated Tk. 16 lakh 52,464. The next year in 2021, the Mango special train ran for 50 days from May-27 to July-15. The cost of diesel for plying the train that year was Tk 40 lakh while the train earned Tk 27 lakh 22, 968 by carrying 2,235 mt of mangoes, 131 cows and 112 goats and thus incurring a loss of Tk 12 lakh 77,032.
Last year the train moved from 13 to 290 June which cost Tk 5,60,000 diesel, excepting other costs while the railway earned Tk 254,294 incurring a loss of Tk 305,706. That year the train carried 179 mt of mango, 36 cattle and 160 goats.
While, from June-8 to 26 this year (2023), the train requires diesel worth Tk 1,962,000 and the earning was Tk 535,342, the train incurred a loss of Tk 1,426,658. During this period the train carried 382 mt of mango, 78 cattle and 161 goats.
During three years period, the train carried 145 cows and 433 goats earning Tk 221,000 while during four years period, it carried 3,995 mts of mango earning Tk 4,629,140 but the cost of diesel excepting other operational costs for the train was 4,661,860.
Mango special train usually carries seven wagons. Each wagon can carry 301 mt of mango. The fare for carrying mango from Chapainwabganj to Dhaka is Tk 1.32 per kilogramme only while from Rajshahi, the fare is only Tk 1.17 per kg. This year two more wagons were added with the train to carry cattle heads. The railway authorities fixed Tk 11,830 for a wagon to carry cattle heads to Dhaka.
Cattle trader Abdus Samad of Mundumal under Tanore upazila informed, ' There is the problem in carrying cattle heads on the train. We need to carry the cattle heads at first in a truck or van to the railway station and after deporting in Dhaka, we again need to hire the truck to carry those to the cattle markets. Moreover, we can not carry one or two cows in a train. We need to hire the entire wagon which is costly and litigated process. That is why, we carry cattle heads on trucks direct from our houses to the cattle market in Dhaka which is a bit costly but easy to carry '.
Mango trader Zahid Hasan of Naodapara area of Rajshahi informed though mango can be carried at a low cost in a train, it costs more as the mangoes are carried to the station through vans or mini-trucks and then those are booked in a train with the help of coolies. As a result, the mango traders are reluctant to send the mango to Dhaka by train, he added.
While talking about incurring loss for years by the mango train, General Manager of West Zone railway Asim Kumar Talukder said, 'We don't understand the profit or loss.
For the benefit of the farmers and the traders, the upper level of the government directs the railway authorities to introduce the service every year and considering the public interest, this train has been introduced. It is like a subsidy from the government. '