Indian Railways continues to utilise covered wagons for the bulk transportation of onions, with 271 onion rakes loaded during the 2023-24 fiscal year. However, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has not made any requests for deploying refrigerated wagons for onion transportation.
To support the movement of temperature-sensitive cargo, including fruits and vegetables, Indian Railways provides rail-based refrigerated container services through Container Corporation of India (CONCOR). In 2023-24, a total of 27,771 refrigerated containers were transported via rail.
Additionally, CONCOR has developed temperature-controlled storage facilities at Nashik, New Azadpur, Dadri, and Sonipat, with a total investment of approximately Rs 1.29 billion.
This information was provided by Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.