Kashmir’s First Apple Parcel Train Flags Off as Highway Chaos Ruins Crores in Produce
Indian Railways has launched Kashmir Valley’s first dedicated apple parcel train, linking Budgam to Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar, after floods and landslides left thousands of trucks stranded on the Srinagar–Jammu highway, destroying tonnes of fruit and crippling the Valley’s ₹10,000-crore horticulture economy.
Railways confirmed two vehicle parcel coaches, each carrying 23 metric tonnes of apples, were loaded this week, with a full daily service of eight coaches scheduled to start on 13 September.
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A big relief to the Apple growers of #Kashmir as @RailMinIndia started special parcel train from Kashmir to Jammu/Delhi #JammuKashmir #Jammu pic.twitter.com/PNTjBiVvIz
— Rajat Vohra (Zee News) (@patrakar_mitr) September 11, 2025
Growers’ associations and traders, reeling from losses that Sopore mandi leaders estimate at over ₹150–200 crore, have called the service a lifeline.
Reuters reported farmers facing “huge losses” as apples rotted in stranded trucks, while local leaders warned the entire sector could lose up to ₹500 crore if transport bottlenecks persist.
The parcel train follows last month’s milestone when the first cement freight train reached Anantnag from Punjab, part of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June. With Vande Bharat passenger trains already running at full capacity, freight connectivity is now being pushed as the backbone of Kashmir’s economic revival.
Another year of distress for Kashmiri farmers as rains shut the Jammu–Srinagar highway.
— The Kashmiriyat (@TheKashmiriyat) September 10, 2025
Apples are rotting on trucks, losses mount.
Apple growers unions and politicians have sought special trains to New Delhi.
🎥 Faisal Bashir pic.twitter.com/qwqRpiqq3C
Officials say the new apple service is designed to “book and deliver like clockwork,” offering growers a reliable alternative to disrupted highways at peak harvest.