In a bid to provide relief to consumers ahead of Diwali, the Centre’s ‘Kanda Express’ is set to bring down onion prices in Delhi. The train, carrying a massive 1,600 tonnes of onions from Nashik, Maharashtra, is expected to arrive in the national capital on Sunday, according to reports. This intervention comes at a time when onion prices have skyrocketed to Rs 75 per kg in Delhi.
The ‘Kanda Express,’ loaded with 42 coaches filled entirely with onions, will reach Kishanganj railway station in Delhi before distributing the onions to wholesale markets across the city. With this massive consignment, the daily supply of onions in Delhi and surrounding areas will increase to 2,500-2,600 tonnes, significantly easing the strain on the market.
The move is set to bring much-needed relief to consumers during the festive season. Retail outlets such as Safal and Kendriya Bhandar will sell these onions at just Rs 35 per kg—less than half of the current market price. This effort is part of the government’s price stabilization strategy, making it the first time bulk onion transportation has been adopted through rail.
Nidhi Khare, Consumer Affairs Secretary, commented on the move, stating that the railways are set to play a larger role in onion transportation going forward. Additional shipments by rail to cities like Lucknow and Varanasi are scheduled in the coming days, helping to manage the supply and stabilize prices across the region.
As onion supplies from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh increase, prices are expected to drop further. The government has noted that states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Odisha have already recorded lower onion prices compared to earlier this year.
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