The Kashmir-Delhi Apple Express, launched on 11 September to transport apple produce amid the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu highway, has received an overwhelming response from valley traders. All services scheduled until 16 September have already been fully booked, underscoring growers’ urgency to move their harvest to markets on time.
The special train service was introduced after continuous landslides and flash floods shut down the highway, leaving truckloads of apples stranded and farmers worried as their produce began to spoil. The rail initiative has come as a major relief to Kashmir’s horticulture sector, which had been suffering heavy losses due to disrupted road connectivity.
Meanwhile, a parcel van train departed from Adarsh Nagar, Delhi carrying textiles, clothing, courier consignments, auto parts, decorative items, and other white goods bound for Budgam.
The Jammu Division of Northern Railways has been operating these parcel trains since 11 September with two parcel vans—one bound for Jammu and the other for Adarsh Nagar, Delhi. Each van carried around 23 tonnes of goods. In a notable achievement, the Budgam–Adarsh Nagar train completed the journey in under 21 hours, while the Budgam–Jammu train reached its destination in less than 6 hours. The initiative has drawn widespread appreciation from Kashmir’s traders and fruit growers.
Building on this success, the railways on Saturday operated a dedicated apple train with 10 wagons from Anantnag to Adarsh Nagar, Delhi. Of these, three wagons will terminate at Bari Brahmana in Jammu, while the remaining seven will continue to Delhi, further boosting the timely movement of Kashmir’s prized apple crop.
