Amarkantak Express: Holy for Railfans as holy as Amarkantak is for devotees. - Ayan G

Gangatic belt hai bhai..
Part of very interesting article -
Sometime in early 2010, Railway Ministry officials in New Delhi began noting a sudden increase in demand for empty wagons from Bihar. Adding to their curiosity was it being courtesy a single commodity — maize (corn) — transported out of the state. Till 2006-07, hardly 40-50 rail rakes, each carrying 2,600 tonnes of maize, were getting loaded annually from three sidings at Khagaria, Mansi and Naugachia. But over the next 6-7 years, these had risen to 500-550 rakes, while being moved...
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from 16-odd railway sidings across central and eastern Bihar.
The stretch from Purnia, Katihar and Bhagalpur to Madhepura, Saharsa, Khagaria and Samastipur – north of the Ganga and on either side of the Kosi – emerged as a corn belt where many farmers, big and small, harvested 50 quintals or more per acre. That was comparable to the 180-200 bushel yields in the US Midwest heartland of Illinois, Iowa and Indiana (one bushel equals 25.4 kg). In the flood-prone areas of Khagaria, Saharsa, Samastipur and Katihar, rabi maize became the major and, in some cases, the only crop.
Read this very interesting article - click here