Centre Announces Maiden Kashmir To Delhi Apple Train In Major Relief To Valley Fruit Growers

Srinagar: In what could be a game-changer for the horticulture sector in the Valley, the Centre has decided to run a special train from Kashmir to Delhi to transport apples, providing the much-needed assistance to growers who have suffered massive losses in recent floods and the ongoing highway blockade.

Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a post on X on Thursday, announced the decision, terming it a step towards "empowering Kashmir’s apple growers".

"With the Jammu-Srinagar line operational, the Kashmir valley has better connectivity. Railways is introducing a daily time-tabled parcel train from Badgam in Kashmir Valley to Adarsh Nagar station in Delhi starting 13th September 2025," he said.

The minister added that the loading of two parcel vans carrying apples from Badgam station to Delhi was beginning today (September 11).

This marks a significant milestone in promoting the horticultural produce of Jammu & Kashmir after Rs 700 crore losses were reported by farmers due to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National highway. Hundreds of fruit-laden trucks remained stranded on the highway for a fortnight due to landslides and rain, rotting the fruit.

Kashmir Chief Area Manager Northern Railways, Saqib Yousuf, said that two parcel trains with apples will leave from Kashmir and Jammu for Delhi on September 13, respectively.

Apple boxes before they are loaded in the first parcel train from Kashmir to Delhi at Budgam station in J&K on Thursday, Sept 11 2025. (ETV Bharat)

"Two empty dedicated parcel trains will arrive at Budgam station today. The loading of apples will begin from today,” he told ETV Bharat.

The railway authorities said that the trains will cut transportation charges and will ensure faster movement of the fruit. Each train will ferry 18 tonnes of apples.

The Joint Parcel Product Rapid Cargo Train service for Jammu Division was approved by the Railway Board in August and will be run on a daily basis on the Adarsh ​​Nagar (Delhi) - Budgam route.

The trains will depart Adarsh ​​Nagar to Budgam Railway Station at 12.10 pm on September 13 and will depart from Budgam to Delhi at 06.15 am on September 15, said Senior Commercial Divisional Manager Uchit Singhal. The train will reach Adarsh ​​Nagar in about 23 hours, taking over 12 hours less time compared to the road journey from Budgam.

This will be the second major perishable consignment after a similar cherry-laden train was sent from Katra to Mumbai in June. This milestone, according to the railways, marks the advent of a transformative era in Kashmir’s logistics as it offers a faster and more reliable corridor for sending the Valley’s horticultural produce to national markets.

Police officials checking one of the apple boxes before it is loaded in the first parcel train from Kashmir to Delhi at Budgam station in J&K on Thursday, Sept 11 2025. (ETV Bharat)

The Rs 10,000 crore horticulture sector is a major contributor to J&K's economy and directly or indirectly employs 700,000 families. More than 64 million fruit-bea­ring trees are planted in J&K over 2.15 lakh ha of land producing more than 2.4 MT of fruit. Of them, some 45 million are apple trees grown in over 70 per cent of land (1.5 lakh ha) and produce over 2.1 MT of apples annually.

The parcel trains have been assigned 'priority' to ensure they arrive in time at the Budgam Railway Station, the official added. Accordingly, necessary adjustments have been ensured without affecting regular train movement, he said.

The move has been hailed by Kashmir Fruit Growers and Dealers (KFGD), an association representing fruit growers and dealers in Kashmir.

"Growers have been offered the facility to book consignment for the railway online as well as offline. It will bring down freight charges compared to road and ensure faster movement of fruit,” KFGD chairman Bashir Ahmad Basheer told ETV Bharat.

He said they sustained losses worth 700 crores in the last two weeks as the fruit spoiled on the highway. Besides, the growers couldn’t send their consignment after harvesting the crop.

Workers load apples in the first parcel train from Kashmir to Delhi at Budgam station in J&K on Thursday, Sept 11 2025. (ETV Bharat)

"It will offer benefits to growers without any hurdle to send their consignment to the national market," Basheer added.

Sinha, Omar Thank Railway Minister

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah thanked the Centre for the initiative. Sinha, in a post on X, said the daily parcel train will bring huge relief to apple growers. He expressed gratitude to PM Narendra Modi and Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Abdullah, in a post on X, thanked the Railway Minister and said his officers and railway ministry officials worked in close coordination.

"It took about a week of close coordination between the railway ministry officials & officers in my secretariat with inputs from the J&K Agriculture Production Department to get to the point where our harvested fruit is now being transported by train. With the National Highway continuing to give us trouble this has become a source of great relief for growers whose produce risked rotting because it wasn’t reaching the market. My thanks to Ashwini Vaishnaw Sb for responding to my calls & endless messages to get to this off the ground," the chief minister said.

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