Train service linking Kashmir with the rest of India is quietly transforming the region’s economy. The service is now helping Kashmir not only to export its horticultural produce but also to ferry cement, automobiles, and essential supplies for the army.
In the near future, Kashmir is likely to receive vital cargo without interruption, thus ending its dependence on the treacherous Jammu–Srinagar National Highway, which frequently closes in winter due to landslides.
This year, when hundreds of trucks laden with apples were stranded on the highway in Kashmir, the authorities quickly arranged freight trains to transport them to Delhi.
Up to October 23, around 14,000 tonnes of apples, roughly nine lakh boxes, were transported from fruit and vegetable markets across Kashmir to destinations outside the Union Territory.
During one such highway blockade earlier this year, over 1.25 lakh boxes of apples worth Rs 10.03 crore were ferried by train from Budgam and Anantnag to Jammu and Delhi.
Minister for Agriculture Production Javid Ahmad Dar said in the assembly during the ongoing autumn session that only about one per cent of the total apple production—around 22,000 tonnes—remained stuck when the road was closed.
“The larger part of the crop continued to move out in phases,” he said. Although the quantity of apples ferried by trains was not significant, it helped ease the nerves of farmers fearing losses due to the highway blockade.
On August 9, the arrival of cement through the freight train led to a price drop of Rs 70 per bag.
Kashmir’s nine cement plants, mostly based in Pulwama, produce about 5,000 tonnes of cement daily, employing around 50,000 people.
With the arrival of over four lakh cement bags via train at Anantnag station within the first fortnight of operations, prices have dipped from Rs 520-530 per bag to Rs 460-470.
Traders say rail freight costs only Rs 10 per bag, compared to Rs 85-90 by road, drastically reducing transportation expenses for outside brands. While this benefits consumers, it poses serious challenges for local producers trying to stay competitive.
The rail line’s benefits extend far beyond fruit and cement. In June this year, a cargo train loaded with 24 tonnes of cherries from Katra traveled to Bandra, Mumbai, marking a milestone for Kashmir’s perishable exports.
On September 15, the first army cargo train arrived in Anantnag, carrying 753 metric tonnes of Advance Winter Stocking (AWS) supplies from BD Bari in Jammu.
Adding to the momentum, Maruti Suzuki sent its first-ever shipment of over 100 vehicles—including the Brezza, Dzire, WagonR, and S-Presso—from its Manesar plant to Anantnag on October 3. The 850-km journey crossed the Chenab River on the world’s highest railway arch bridge, cutting delivery time and costs, and marking the start of automobile freight movement to the Valley.
The Railways Board has already cleared daily joint parcel and product-rapid cargo trains between Adarsh Nagar (Delhi) and Budgam, which will expand the range of goods arriving in Kashmir—from food grains and construction materials to automobiles and consumer goods.
With the railway link now providing a year-round, weather-proof route, Kashmir is slowly breaking free from the isolation caused by road closures.
