Rail route to shield Kashmir apple trade from highway blockades, weather disruptions
With the objective of ensuring safe, timely and economical transportation of apples in the upcoming apple season 2026, an important meeting was organized today on 21st August 2026 at Srinagar by Railway officials with the Director, Horticulture, Planning & Marketing, Srinagar and all stakeholders. The meeting was attended by Assistant Commercial Manager / FS / Jammu and Assistant Operations Manager / M / Jammu on behalf of Jammu Division, along with officials of the Horticulture Department, fruit growers, Kisan aggregators and business aggregators, including about 30-35 prominent representatives. In this meeting, various traders, farmers and apple traders participated physically as well as through virtual mode. The main objective of the meeting was to ensure safe, timely and economical transportation of apples through Railways in the upcoming apple season.
Various important issues were discussed in the meeting, especially detailed deliberations were held on transportation of fruits from Anantnag and Pampore Goods Sheds and movement of apples through parcel train from Budgam to Adarsh Nagar Delhi. The Horticulture Department, fruit growers and apple traders expressed their gratitude and appreciation to the Railways for the services provided last year. They informed that last year in 2025, when the National Highway was closed due to natural reasons, Railways played a vital role in that difficult time. It is noteworthy that last year, Jammu Division successfully transported about 20,000 tonnes of apples from Kashmir to other mandis of the country through Goods Trains and JPP-RCS Parcel Train, Parcel Vans and BCN wagons, which saved the growers and traders from incurring huge losses.
In view of the upcoming apple season 2026, the transportation of apples to different parts of the country through Railways this year also was discussed in the meeting. In this regard, it was decided that the Directorate of Horticulture will provide detailed information regarding the anticipated quantity and transportation requirements to the Railways within a week, so that timely arrangement of parcel van rakes and BCN wagons can be made by the Railways. In the meeting, Railway officials advised all aggregators to consider Railway parcel service as per their requirement and to fill the indent in advance. Traders can apply for their indent online, so that their goods can be included in the scheduled routes and parcel rakes or wagons can be made available on priority basis upon receipt of the indent.
Officials stated that transportation by Railways is extremely beneficial for aggregators and farmers. As compared to road transport, Railway freight is economical, which will reduce the per-box cost and directly increase profits. Even in case of bad weather, landslides and National Highway blockade, apples will reach the mandis safely and on time through rail route, which will make the risk of fruit spoilage almost negligible. A large quantity of apples can be sent together through parcel vans and BCN wagons, which will eliminate the need to send small loads repeatedly. Along with this, direct connectivity will be available from Budgam to Adarsh Nagar Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata including all major fruit markets of the country.
On this occasion, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu, Uchit Singhal said that Railways is fully committed to the prosperity of the horticulture sector of Jammu and Kashmir and the farmer brothers here. Our target is that this year more apples should be transported through Railways than last year. All farmer and trader brothers should join the Railway parcel service in maximum numbers.
At the end of the meeting, all aggregators expressed their consent to work together with the Railways this year also.