Rail transports 20,000 tons of apple in Kashmir in 2025

Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the cargo train on September 15 which was described as a historical moment by the officials

Over 20,000 tons of apples were transported via rail from Kashmir since the introduction of cargo in the Valley in September 2025, officials said.

While apples were transported out, cement, automobiles and foodgrains were also brought in via rail for the first time. (File)

Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the cargo train on September 15 which was described as a historical moment by the officials.

While highlighting the main achievements of northern railways in Jammu and Kashmir in 2025, Uchit Singhal, senior divisional commercial manager, Jammu division, termed the transport of apple and cement as success stories. “The apple story: Joint parcel product-rapid cargo service (JPP-RCS) run to enable transport of apples from September 15– flagged off by LG J&K. From then on, there is no looking back. With Anantnag g-shed combined, more than 20,000 tons of apple transported by rail,” he said.

Fruit trade comprises 8% of the J&K’s GDP as more than 22 lakh metric tons of fruit, mostly apples, are produced in Kashmir and for growers the disruption of the national highway has caused losses amounting to ₹700 crore this year. Before the start of the rail transport, trucks were the only mode of transportation for the fruit across the country and in neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Nepal.

While apples were transported out, cement, automobiles and foodgrains were also brought in via rail for the first time. “More than 1.5 lakh tons of cement brought in by rail alone since the notification on August 9. Automobile rakes bringing in vehicles for the first time, foodgrains from FCI rake also handled successfully on December 21. Other traffic brought plastic crates, insulated panels and salt,” he said.

He said that after the Vande Bharat train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, almost 3.75 lakh passengers have availed the services so far of two pairs of trains.

The train also played role in crisis management, including after Pahalgam attack and during Operation Sindoor. “Specials and coach augmentation along with 24x7 situation room monitoring was established post Pahalgam attack. During Op-Sindoor close coordination was done with civil and military authorities, and during challenging flood situations post August 26. Flood relief special Katra-Sangaldan was also run,” he said.

The ticket checking drives generated crores in revenue from April to December 2025. “Since the formation of the Jammu division, the ticket checking campaigns conducted from April 2025 to December 2025 have identified approximately 54,098 passengers travelling without valid tickets or irregularly, resulting in revenue collection of around ₹3.73 crore. This is a remarkable achievement considering the Jammu division is newly formed and continues to operate with limited resources and manpower,” he said.

“During 2026, we will focus on increasing revenue through ticket checking while giving special attention to passenger-centric initiatives, including better transparency, preventing ticket fraud, and promoting digital payments,” Uchit Singhal said.