Kanda Express Reaches Delhi With 453 Tonnes Of Onion As Centre Moves To Cool Prices

The first Kanda Express, a dedicated railway rake carrying about 453.65 tonnes of onion from Nashik in Maharashtra, reached Delhi on Friday as the Centre stepped up efforts to increase supplies and rein in rising prices in the national capital and nearby cities.

“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.

Onion At ₹35 Per Kg

The onion stock from Nashik will be sold at a subsidised rate of ₹35 per kg in Delhi-NCR. Part of the consignment will also be sent to Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Jammu, widening the reach of the government's intervention beyond the national capital.

The arrival is significant at a time when consumers are facing a sharp rise in onion prices. Retail onion prices in Delhi jumped 88% to ₹62 per kg on Thursday from ₹33 per kg a year earlier, according to Consumer Affairs Ministry data. The all-India average retail price stood at ₹46.58 per kg, while the wholesale rate was ₹38.29 per kg on the same day, PTI reports.

Journey Delayed By Nashik Protests

The Kanda Express was originally scheduled to reach Delhi on Wednesday, but its departure was delayed following protests by what Khare described as “vested interest groups” in Nashik.

The local administration subsequently brought the situation under control, allowing the train to leave Nashik after the delay. The episode underlines the logistical challenges that can complicate efforts to move essential commodities quickly when prices are under pressure.

Centre Holds 1.21 Lakh Tonnes In Buffer

The Centre currently has about 1.21 lakh tonnes of onion in its buffer stock under the Price Stabilisation Fund. Releasing this stock through dedicated trains is aimed at improving supplies in major consumption centres and easing pressure on retail prices.

Khare said another Kanda Express rake bound for Chennai would be loaded on Friday. It will be followed by rakes for Madurai, Ernakulam and Guwahati, one after another.

The government expects the release of buffer stock to help bring down retail onion prices in Delhi within a week. With prices having risen sharply over the past year, how quickly the additional supply translates into relief at retail markets will be the key test of the intervention.

Supply Comfortable Despite Price Spike

Despite the rise in prices, Khare said onion availability remained comfortable enough to meet domestic demand in the coming months.

Onion production is estimated at 307.37 lakh tonnes in 2025-26, broadly on a par with the 307.67 lakh tonnes produced in the previous year. The figures suggest that the immediate concern is not an acute shortage of overall supply, even as consumers face substantially higher retail prices.

Kanda Express Expands From 14 Rakes To 86

The Kanda Express initiative was launched in 2024-25 to improve logistical efficiency in moving large quantities of onion across the country.

In 2024-25, 14 railway rakes carrying nearly 12,000 tonnes of onion buffer stock were sent to five cities. The operation expanded sharply in 2025-26, with 86 rakes carrying about 88,000 tonnes of onion to 16 major cities across the country.

The expansion shows the growing use of rail transport as a tool to move buffer stocks on a large scale. For consumers, however, the success of the exercise will ultimately be measured by whether the additional supplies lead to lower prices in local markets.