Jammu: More than 6,400 tonnes of apples have been transported from Kashmir to Delhi via parcel trains over the past two weeks, the Jammu Division of Northern Railways said on Saturday.
Kashmir produces nearly 2 to 2.6 million metric tonnes of apples every year, contributing around 70–80 percent of India’s total apple output. To facilitate smooth supply, the Jammu Division of Northern Railway began operating parcel trains on September 11 with two parcel van coaches — one bound for Jammu and the other for Adarsh Nagar, Delhi.
“Each parcel van coach carried about 23 tonnes of goods. It was a historic milestone when, for the first time, a parcel van coach from Budgam railway station in Kashmir reached Adarsh Nagar, Delhi, in under 21 hours, while another reached Jammu in less than six hours,” Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of the Jammu Division, Uchit Singhal, said in a statement.
On September 15, Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off an eight-coach parcel train from Srinagar to Adarsh Nagar, Delhi, with each coach carrying up to 23 tonnes.
The launch of this service came at a crucial time, coinciding with the closure of the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway — the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country — after it suffered extensive damage due to heavy rainfall between August 26 and September 6.
