The Western Railway Zone has, for the first time, transported spices through a dedicated parcel train, sending 4,200 quintals of cumin seeds from Mehsana in Gujarat to Azara station in Assam. The train, made up of 30 wagons, left on Wednesday and will travel roughly 2,477 kilometres to reach its destination in the northeast.
“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,” Western Railway said in a press statement.
Why the cumin freight matters
For Ahmedabad Division, this is being treated as a milestone. Organised rail freight of spices out of this corridor has not been done before, and officials see it as a proof of concept for similar movements going forward.
“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,” Western Railway said.
The broader intent is to build a direct supply link between Gujarat’s spice-producing belt and consumers and traders in Northeast India, a region that has traditionally been harder and more expensive to service by road.
What officials are saying
“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 environmentally 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,” officials said.
On the operational side, the division was cited for its logistics management.
“Ahmedabad Division remains committed to providing fast, safe and reliable freight transportation services in line with future business requirements,” a senior official said.
The bigger picture
Western Railway has been pushing to grow its non-passenger revenue through freight, and this movement fits into that pattern. According to the railway, it is continuously achieving new milestones in freight transportation and revenue generation, and sees initiatives like this as giving “a new direction to Indian Railways’ freight operations.”