In a bid to benefit the fruit growers and traders of Kashmir, a joint parcel product rapid cargo train service between Budgam and Adarsh Nagar (Delhi) was approved by the Railway Board on Wednesday.
The train will run on a daily basis by the Jammu Division of the Northern Railways.
It will have a seating cum luggage rake (SLR) with 8 parcel vans. To facilitate the business class, the facility for loading and unloading of goods will be provided at Bari Brahmana station. This cargo train will be run on a pilot basis in the initial year. In which security arrangements will be made by the state police, and security will be ensured on both sides of the vehicle.
Giving information about this, Senior Commerce Divisional Manager Uchit Singhal said that the main objective of operating this train is to benefit the traders of Kashmir and to deliver the goods from there to every corner of the country, which mainly includes items like apples, saffron, walnuts, pashmina shawls, carpets, and Kashmiri handicrafts. This train will reach its destination station, Adarsh Nagar Delhi, in about 23 hours, which is less time than the road trip from Budgam.
This initiative aims to increase the share of railways in the courier business and provide an efficient, reliable, and economical option to the customers. This service is a precise effort to attract the business class in Indian Railways. Its main objective is to showcase the unique products of Jammu and Kashmir, such as Kashmir dry fruits and crafts, and to encourage their marketing in India and internationally.
The main objective of this initiative is to benefit the fruit producers of Kashmir, which includes small and big businessmen of Kashmir. Through this initiative, these delicious fruits will be delivered to every corner of the country. With this facility, the business class can deliver their goods to their destination in a very short time and can get their goods fast.
This will prove to be an economical option compared to road transport. The economy of the state will benefit, and new sources of employment will also be generated, he said.
Jammu Divisional Railway Manager Vivek Kumar said that the goal of the Joint Parcel Product-Rapid Cargo Service (JPP-RCS) is to promote freight transportation through railways. It is a virtual aggregation platform that will help in connecting the participation of railways in the private sector. This cargo train is being operated for the first time in the Jammu Division, in which the registration fee for booking has been reduced.