'Kisan Rail' operates from today: Here are important things to know

The Indian railways starts Kisan Rail services from today. Kisan Rail will be used to transport perishable goods. Union Minister of Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal flagged off the train via video conferencing.

This train would run between Maharashtra and Bihar, and would be the first such train carrying vegetables and fruits. Dignitaries from Maharashtra will also attend this event.

India's first 'Kisan Rail'- Here are the key things you need to know

Time Table of Kisan Rail train: The 'Kisan Rail' train will run on a weekly basis. It will start from Deolali in Maharashtra's Nashik at 11 am today and will reach Danapur in Bihar at 6.45 pm on August 8.

How much distance the train will coverand in how much time: In 31 hours, the journey of 1,519 kilometres will be covered from Maharashtra's Deolali to Bihar's Danapur.

Stops of train: The train will take stops at Nasik Road, Manmad, Jalgaon, Bhusaval, Burhanpur, Khandwa, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Satna, Katni, Manikpur, Prayagraj Chheoki, Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Nagar and Buxar.

Government's target to double farmers’ income: Indian Railways aims to help double farmers’ income with the launch of Kisan Rail. This train is a step towards realising the goal of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022.

Seamless national cold supply chain for perishables: This train will help in bringing perishable agricultural products like vegetables, fruits to the market in a short period of time. The train with frozen containers is expected to build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables, inclusive of fish, meat and milk.

Kisan Rail initiative was announced in Budget 2020:

The announcement regarding the "Kisan Rail" was made in the current year's Budget. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced this initiative in her Budget speech envisaging setting up of a 'Kisan Rail' through the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode for a cold supply chain to transport perishable goods.

The proposal to use refrigerated parcel vans to ferry perishables was first announced by then railway minister Mamata Banerjee in the 2009-10 Budget, however, it has failed to take off.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal yesterday informed about this train in his tweet.

खुशहाल किसान, समृद्ध राष्ट्र: प्रधानमंत्री @NarendraModi जी के किसानों की आय दुगनी करने के प्रयास में कल महाराष्ट्र के देवलाली से बिहार के दानापुर के बीच पहली किसान रेल चलाई जा रही है।

जल्दी ख़राब होने वाले उत्पादों को किसान इस ट्रेन की मदद से भेज सकेंगे। https://t.co/OaWIKNjGuwpic.twitter.com/hsnj2vJjU6 — Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) August 6, 2020