Kashmiri apples get dedicated rail route to national markets

Kannur: The first train ran in Kashmir during the cherry season in June. Meanwhile, the Railways launched a special cargo service from Jammu to Mumbai, ensuring faster transportation of cherries across the country.

Now, as the apple season begins in Kashmir, the Railways has extended this initiative to apples as well. A dedicated daily parcel service has been introduced from Budgam in the Kashmir Valley to Adarsh Nagar station in Delhi. Two parcel vans are attached to the service to facilitate the transport of Kashmiri apples quickly and safely to national markets.

This initiative will significantly reduce dependence on the Srinagar–Jammu highway, where landslides and adverse weather conditions often disrupt cargo movement. In addition to apples, saffron, walnuts, carpets, and shawls from Kashmir are also being transported to various parts of the country through special parcel trains operated by the Jammu division. Each train carries up to eight parcel vans.

Kashmir, which had long remained disconnected, was linked to Jammu in June with the opening of the Katra–Srinagar route. With the new extension, trains now run directly into the Kashmir Valley.

Currently, two Vande Bharat Express trains operate between Katra and Srinagar, offering four services daily. These trains, which were constructed by Chennai's Integral Coach Factory, are specifically made to run effectively even in extremely cold temperatures.