Question : Refrigerated Parcel Vans

(a) whether the Government has introduced refrigerated van service to facilitate transportation of perishable commodities like vegetables, fruits, milk products, meat/poultry, etc.;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the details of routes on which such vans are operational and their usage statistics;

(c) whether it is fact that most of the vans are lying defunct and if so, the reasons therefor; and

(d) the efforts taken by the Ministry to capture the traffic of perishable goods and expand the network of refrigerated vans?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

(a) to (d): Yes, Madam. 9 Refrigerated vans are available over Indian Railways. At present 03 Refrigerated Vans are available for service and balance 06 Refrigerated Vans are undergoing maintenance schedules in Workshop/Open lines. However, due to lack of demand, these Refrigerated Vans had gone in disuse resulting in inoperative Refrigeration system.

During the current financial year i.e. 2017-18, 14 Refrigerated Vans were loaded from Yashantpur to Gorakhpur and 04 Refrigerated Vans from Palanpur to HTTP (Hind Terminal Private Limited) generating revenue of ` 33.24 lakhs.
Efforts are being made to capture the traffic by the Zonal Railways by conducting meetings with trade and industry, stakeholders etc.

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