In a first, manufacturers directly bring cars to Kashmir via train; supply gets a big boost

The train, carrying 116 vehicles manufactured at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant, reached the Anantnag Goods Shed in south Kashmir on Friday morning, officials added

Kashmir on Friday received its first automobile rake from the Jammu division of northern railway, bringing new vehicles to the Valley directly from manufacturing plants, officials said.

Members of a Maruti Suzuki dealership unload cars from a freight train after the first train carrying 116 vehicles from the company's Manesar plant arrives, in Anantnag, on Friday. (PTI)

The train, carrying 116 vehicles manufactured at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant, reached the Anantnag Goods Shed in south Kashmir on Friday morning, officials added. The arrival of the automobile carrier marks a milestone in the transportation of automobiles to Kashmir.

“Jammu–Srinagar railway line is a game changer for the people of J&K. After apples, first batch of cars now reaches Kashmir valley by rail. Manesar → Anantnag,” Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw wrote on X.

“The train covered a distance of 850 kilometers in 45 hours and arrived at the newly opened Anantnag Railway Terminal in Jammu and Kashmir at 11am on Friday,” said an official spokesperson.

The total fare generated was approximately ₹9 lakh in revenue.

Remarking on this significant achievement, senior divisional commercial manager, Uchit Singhal, stated that this marks a new chapter in the history of automobile transportation logistics in J&K. Other automobile companies will also join the project, benefiting both the railways and the automobile companies. He explained that rail transport is safer because vehicles are transported in enclosed compartments, protecting them from theft, weather conditions, and road damage. Rail transport also reduces vehicle wear and tear compared to road travel.

The new vehicles had to be driven mostly to the sales dealerships in the Valley from Jammu in the absence of rail services. The transportation of new vehicles from Jammu often faced difficulties along the nearly 300-km Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, especially during the winter season when the road is frequently closed due to inclement weather and landslides.