Daily time-tabled parcel train from Budgam to Adarsh Nagar, Delhi, to run from September 13
LG SinhaExpresses Gratitude To PM Modi, Union Railway Minister; CM Omar hails move, thanks Vaishnaw for his support
Budgam, Sepruit growers in Kashmir on Thursday welcomed the launch of a trial parcel train service carrying apples to Delhi, saying it will cut travel time nearly in half and save produce from rotting due to frequent highway closures.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that a daily time-tabled parcel train from Budgam to Adarsh Nagar, Delhi, would begin from September 13. “With the Jammu-Srinagar line operational, the Kashmir Valley has better connectivity. Railways is introducing a daily time-tabled parcel train from Budgam in Kashmir Valley to Adarsh Nagar station in Delhi starting 13th September 2025. Loading of 2 parcel vans carrying apples from Budgam to Delhi is beginning today,” Vaishnaw posted on X.
Officials told KNO that today, two parcel vans will depart from Budgam station, one bound for Delhi and the other for Jammu, both laden with the season’s finest Kashmiri apples.
The Lieutenant Governor conveyed his appreciation for the initiative. “The daily parcel train from Budgam to New Delhi will bring huge relief to apple growers. My deepest gratitude to the Prime Minister and Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw Ji,” the office of the LG said on X.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Minister for Railways for his support in making this initiative possible. A post on his official X handle said, “The Chief Minister has expressed gratitude to Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for his support, as train parcels have now reached Kashmir. The horticulture department is coordinating the transportation with the fruit growers.”
Varun Mital from Fine Valley Agri Farms, whose consignment was among the first dispatched on Thursday, told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the initiative has come at a critical time. “Earlier, sending fruit to Delhi used to take around 36 hours. Now the same work will be done in just 20 hours. This will directly improve the quality of fruit reaching the markets,” he said.
He noted that the continued closure of National Highway-44 had badly affected growers. “The highway, considered the lifeline of Kashmir, has remained shut for 14 days. We lost 30–60 percent of our produce in trucks that got stranded. In plums, we faced a 100 percent loss, and in pears nearly 70 percent,” he said.
According to Mital, Thursday’s trial included two cargo coaches carrying about 3,000 apple boxes—around 36 tons. Each railway container, he added, can carry up to 23 tons of fruit. “Today, two of our trucks with 1,500 boxes each were loaded. In future, the number of trains and cargoes will increase, with proper scanning and other facilities in place,” he said.
Mital credited the government for introducing the service at short notice. “This is a great initiative, and it will benefit not only us but also other growers. It reduces our dependency on the highway and opens a more reliable route through the railways,” he said.
