Western Railway sends 4,200 quintals of spices in special freight initiative from Gujarat to Assam

It added, This marks a historic achievement for the Ahmedabad Division, as organised rail transportation of spices has been carried out for the first time in this sector. Officials stated that this initiative will play a significant role in directly connecting Gujarats spice industry with markets in Northeast India.

The Western Railway Zone has dispatched 4,200 quintals of cumin seeds through a special parcel train from Mehsana station in Gujarat to Azara station in Assam, marking a first for an organised rail transportation of spices. Officials said the train, comprising 30 wagons, commenced its journey on Wednesday and will cover an approximate distance of 2,477 kilometres. ''A total of 13,800 packages of spices were loaded into the rake, with a total weight of approximately 4,20,000 kilograms (420 tonnes). Through this operation, the Railways earned more than Rs 25.28 lakh in freight revenue,'' a press statement from Western Railway said. It added, ''This marks a historic achievement for the Ahmedabad Division, as organised rail transportation of spices has been carried out for the first time in this sector.'' Officials stated that this initiative will play a significant role in directly connecting Gujarat's spice industry with markets in Northeast India. ''At the same time, it will further strengthen rail transport as a safe, economical and environment-friendly mode of transportation. This initiative will provide major convenience to traders and exporters and will open up greater possibilities for similar freight movements in the future,'' they added. According to Western Railway, it is continuously achieving new milestones in freight transportation and revenue generation, thereby providing a new direction to Indian Railways' freight operations. Officials involved in the operation said the successful movement of this Deemed VP rake (parcel van) reflects Ahmedabad Division's strong freight-handling capability, efficient logistics management, and customer-oriented services. ''Ahmedabad Division remains committed to providing fast, safe and reliable freight transportation services in line with future business requirements,'' a senior official said.