The Mango Special Train was due to start on 20 May, but Chapainawabganj's mangoes were not yet ripe, so it did not run despite the announcement. Railway officials then said it would start on 7 June. But Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan wants to come and inaugurate it on 8 June, so the start date has been changed again.

Asim Kumar Talukder, general manager of Bangladesh Railway (West) in Rajshahi, confirmed this to Jago News.

"We wanted to start the train on 6 June, and later announced it would start on 7 June. But Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan wants to come and inaugurate it on 8 June, so the start date of the Mango Special Train has been changed," he said.

Earlier, the train was announced for 20 May, but the authorities backed away citing a shortage of mangoes. Then, to start it on 7 June, Bangladesh Railway published its timetable and fares on 2 June.

But since the minister will inaugurate it in person, it was decided to push the start back by a day to 8 June.

According to railway sources, the train will leave Rohanpur in Chapainawabganj for Dhaka at 4pm. It will reach Nachole at 4:20pm, Nizampur at 4:40pm, Amnura Junction at 5pm, Chapainawabganj station at 6pm, and Amnura Bypass and Kankanhat at 6:40pm. Traders and farmers will pay Tk 1.32 a kg to carry mangoes to Dhaka from these stations.

The train will leave Rajshahi station for Dhaka at 7:30pm, reaching Sardah at 7:53pm, Arani at 8:15pm and Abdulpur at 8:35pm. It will leave Bangabandhu Bridge West for Tejgaon station in Dhaka at 10:20pm, stopping at Joydebpur and Dhaka Airport stations to book mangoes, and reach Tejgaon at 1:15am. Traders will pay Tk 1.17 a kg to carry mangoes to Dhaka from these stations.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.