NEW DELHI — In a major push to offer relief to consumers struggling with surging kitchen budgets, the first dedicated freight train carrying bulk onion stock arrived in the national capital on Friday morning.

The 'Kanda Express' pulled into Delhi carrying 453.65 tonnes of onions across 21 railway wagons from Nashik, Maharashtra. The shipment marks the official kickoff of the central government’s targeted market intervention to stabilise retail onion prices in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) and neighboring northern states.

Speaking on the development, Union Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare confirmed that the stock will be released directly into retail networks at a subsidised rate of Rs 35 per kg.

"The first Kanda Express reached the capital this morning. Part of this buffer stock will also be routed to meet domestic demand in nearby northern cities, including Chandigarh, Ludhiana, and Jammu," Khare said.

Spikes Prompt Market Intervention

The move follows a sharp surge in onion prices across the national capital region over recent weeks. According to price monitoring data from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, retail onion prices in Delhi soared by nearly 88 per cent year-on-year on Thursday, touching Rs 62 per kg compared to Rs 33 per kg during the same period last year.

Nationwide, the average retail price hovered around Rs 46.58 per kg, with wholesale mandis recording rates of Rs 38.29 per kg.

Despite the localized price pressure, officials clarified that overall national supplies remain stable. India’s estimated onion production for 2025–26 stands at 307.37 lakh tonnes, closely matching the 307.67 lakh tonnes produced in the previous fiscal year.

To prevent panic buying and artificial inflation by intermediaries, the Centre is maintaining a strategic buffer reserve of roughly 1.21 lakh tonnes under the Price Stabilisation Fund.

Nationwide Rollout Planned

Delhi is only the first stop in a broader release strategy. Consumer Affairs Ministry officials revealed that a second Kanda Express bound for Chennai will be loaded immediately, followed by scheduled rakes to Madurai, Ernakulam, and Guwahati.

"With regular shipments hitting retail outlets, the release of buffer stock is expected to cool down retail prices in Delhi and surrounding regions within a week," Khare noted.

Scaling Rail Logistics

The rail-based bulk transport strategy—dubbed the 'Kanda Express' initiative—was originally launched during 2024–25 to streamline high-volume distribution from major onion-growing hubs like Nashik to high-consumption metro centers.

The initiative has grown exponentially over the past two years:

  • 2024–25: Dispatched 14 railway rakes transporting approximately 12,000 tonnes of onion stock to 5 major cities.

  • 2025–26: Expanded to 86 dedicated rakes carrying nearly 88,000 tonnes of onions to 16 major urban hubs across the country.

With consistent rail transport moving large volumes efficiently, government authorities expect kitchen budgets across North and South India to stabilize shortly.