The Railways’ proposal to transport apples and vegetables from Himachal Pradesh to markets across the country has received a cautious response from growers and commission agents, who have raised concerns over its economic viability and the risk of damage to the produce.During a meeting with stakeholders in Shimla on Thursday, Railway officials presented a plan under which consignments would be loaded from Kalka and Chandigarh and transported by train to major fruit and vegetable markets across India. However, growers and representatives of the Himachal Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing Board (HPSAMB) said the freight charges proposed by the Railways were considerably higher than the cost of transporting produce by road.HPSAMB chairman Kuldeep Pathania said the stakeholders had asked Railway officials to come back with a revised proposal offering more competitive freight rates. He added that growers were also apprehensive about multiple loading and unloading points, which could increase the chances of fruit damage.Under the proposed arrangement, growers would first transport their produce by truck to Kalka before it is loaded onto trains. After reaching the destination railway station, the consignments would again be shifted to trucks for delivery to wholesale markets. Stakeholders instead suggested that a loading facility be established in Shimla to reduce transportation costs, labour charges and handling of the produce.Even though apprehensive for now, some growers believe the Railways’ entry into apple transportation could break the monopoly of truckers and make freight charges more competitive. They also feel rail transport would enable the produce to reach markets faster, helping the fruit remain fresher.