New Delhi, Aug. 28 -- The first 'Kanda Express', a dedicated rail rake carrying about 453.65 tonnes of onion from Nashik in Maharashtra, arrived in Delhi on Friday, as part of the government's efforts to boost supplies in the national capital and nearby cities and rein in prices.
"The first Kanda Express, carrying 453.65 tonnes of onion in 21 wagons, reached the national capital in the morning," Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi
Khare said.
The onion, stored at Nashik, will be sold at a subsidised rate of Rs 35 per kg in Delhi-NCR. Some of the stock will also be sent to nearby cities such as Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Jammu, she said.
The train was originally scheduled to reach on Wednesday but was delayed due to protests by some vested interest groups in Nashik, Khare said.
However, the local administration brought the situation under control and the train took off from Nashik with a delay, she added.
The Centre currently holds about 1.21 lakh tonnes of onion as buffer stock under the Price Stabilisation Fund.
Khare said a Kanda Express rake bound for Chennai would be loaded on Friday, followed by rakes for three other destinations -- Madurai, Ernakulam and Guwahati -- one after another. The impact of the buffer stock release is expected to bring down retail onion prices in Delhi within a week, she added.
Retail onion prices in the capital rose 88 per cent to Rs 62 per kg on Thursday, up from Rs 33 per kg a year earlier, according to data from the Consumer Affairs Ministry.
The all-India average retail price stood at Rs 46.58 per kg, while the wholesale rate was Rs 38.29 per kg on the
same day.
Despite rising prices, onion availability remains comfortable, with 2025-26 production estimated at 307.37 lakh tonnes. Kanda Express also expanded from 14 rakes carrying 12,000 tonnes to 86 rakes carrying 88,000 tonnes.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.