Jammu: The Northern Railway on Wednesday dispatched its first automobile rake carrying 116 vehicles from Manesar in Haryana to Anantnag district in south Kashmir.
Earlier, on August 9, the first freight train carrying cement from Rupnagar in Punjab had successfully reached the Anantnag goods shed, marking a key milestone in linking Kashmir with the national freight network.
“The first automobile rake has been dispatched today from Maruti Suzuki India Limited’s in-plant Gati Shakti Terminal (GCT) at Manesar to the Anantnag goods shed in the Kashmir Valley,” said the Railways PRO, Jammu division.
The special auto train, loaded with over 116 passenger vehicles including Brezza, Dzire, WagonR and S-Presso models, departed from Manesar at 12:35 pm on Wednesday. Covering 850 kilometres in about 45 hours, it is scheduled to arrive at the newly opened Anantnag terminal at 10:00 am on October 3.
On its route, the rake will cross the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab river.
Officials said the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project has significantly strengthened connectivity, improved logistics efficiency and reduced road congestion.
Since August 9, several freight trains carrying the Army’s winter stock, fruits and other goods have reached Kashmir from different parts of the country and returned with consignments including fruits.
