Two new Krishak trains under the Ministry of Railways have been flagged off by the Eastern Railways to benefit the farmers. On September 7, the special trains were introduced on the Gede-Sealdah and Shantipur- Sealdah route in the Eastern Railway.
Krishak trains
The word “Krishak” means farmer. Krishak trains are so named because they predominantly run for the benefit of the farmers and mostly carry in agricultural produce from one place to the other.
Krishak Express under the Indian railways is a train of North-Eastern railway zone. However, the Krishak trains are different from Kisan trains, also run by the Indian railways for the farmers. Kisan Rail train services transport perishables and agri-product, including milk, meat, and fish.
According to the Indian railways, the distance between Gede (West Bengal) and Sealdah (West Bengal) is 119 kilometers and usually takes around 2 hours 35 minutes to complete the journey. The Krishak special trains allow vendors and farmers to travel with their vegetables and other agricultural products such as cottage cheese, etc.
The trains were earlier running on a trial basis. While Gede to Sealdah runs in the morning, Shantipur to Sealdah runs in the evening.
To augment farmer’s income
The running of the Krishak special trains will augment farmers’ income. With train transportation, the farmers incur lesser costs on transportation of their produce. Further, it will provide loading/unloading facilities at important stations en route. The initiative aims to bring more profit and prosperity to the farmers.
Access to a larger market
Furthermore, the farmers from far-off places can easily avail the cheaper and faster means of transport to access the bigger market for agricultural merchandise in and around the Kolkata metropolitan area. The trains will help the farmers ensure timely delivery and supply of vegetables to the market while also ensuring that they do not get damaged.
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