The daily parcel train service was preponed for apple growers in response to the continued national highway closure for heavy vehicles, which caused losses in crores for Kashmir’s horticulture industry. The service officially announced two parcel coaches as a trial run, and from the 15th, the same type of 8-coach parcel train will run daily from Kashmir to Delhi.
SSP Railways Wasim Qadri said, “From the 15th, a parcel train service will run daily from here to Adhershnagar; good will come from there and will go from here too, mostly apples. We had a schedule for the 15th, but the highway is closed, and people’s goods are getting rotten, so in this special case the train is being operated only for apples, and we will prepone it. There is a full security system intact.”
While the inaugural run focused on apples, the service will benefit traders of other Kashmiri products, including saffron, walnuts, and handicrafts. But this time, as it’s apple harvesting time and the apple industry is considered the backbone of the Kashmiri economy. This parcel train service is expected to be more dependable than road transport. It will deliver produce to Delhi in about 23 hours; that’s half of the time produce takes by road.
Varun Mittal, Apple Grower Company Manager “As you know, NH44, which is our lifeline, has been closed for the last 12-13 days. No big truck can pass. Mughal Road is open, but only small trucks can pass from there, and freight is also very high. So, we approached the railway department, and on short notice, they provided us the facility. Three thousand boxes are going today; some will go to Jammu, and some will go to Delhi. We had huge losses in past days; almost 50% of the goods reached the destination rotten, as the road was bad and there was huge traffic congestion also. In the future, when train service starts fully, there will be almost a 50-60% deduction in freight, and a lot of time will be saved, which means a lot; almost 50% of the time will be saved.”
Each train will feature eight parcels of coaches, and each train will be capable of ferrying 18 tons of apples. The initiative provides much-needed assurance for the apple industry, which is the backbone of Kashmir’s economy and supports millions of people. The apple industry employs around 3.5 million people directly or indirectly in Kashmir and contributes up to 10% of Jammu and Kashmir’s Gross Domestic Product (GSDP).
The Railway Minister on the X handle wrote, “Empowering Kashmir’s apple growers. With the Jammu-Srinagar line operational, the Kashmir Valley has better connectivity. Railways is introducing a daily timetabled parcel train from Badgam in Kashmir Valley to Adarsh Nagar station in Delhi starting 13th September 2025. Loading of 2 parcel vans carrying apples from Badgam to Delhi is beginning today.”
Being India’s largest apple producer, apple trade in Kashmir has a production between 2 and 2.5 million metric tons (MT) per year and a market value of around Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 crore. The apple industry supports the livelihoods of millions in the region. By providing a consistent and timely transport link, the service will prevent spoilage and allow growers to get their apples to market before they lose value.
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