23-hour service to be made permanent if good response
Naveed Ul Haq Ganaiee
Budgam, Apr 15 :
In a significant move to ease transportation of goods from Kashmir Valley, Northern Railway’s Jammu Division has announced the operation of a dedicated parcel train service between Budgam and Delhi from April 17 to May 31.
The service, named “Joint Parcel Product – Rapid Cargo Service” (JPP-RCS) will run between Adarsh Nagar, Delhi and Budgam, primarily aimed at benefiting fruit growers, traders and handicraft dealers.
Officials informed the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the train from Budgam will depart at 6:15 AM and reach Adarsh Nagar, Delhi, at 5:00 AM the following day. On its return journey, the train will leave Delhi at 5:00 AM and arrive in Budgam at 10:45 AM the next day.
The train will comprise eight parcel vans and one seating-cum-luggage rake (SLR) and will halt at Bari Brahmana and Ambala Cantt stations to facilitate loading and unloading.
The service will initially run on a trial basis till May 31 and may be made permanent depending on the response, an official said, adding that the train will ensure the timely transportation of perishable items such as apples, cherries and other fruits within 23–24 hours. This, he said, will help retain freshness while offering a more economical and reliable alternative to road transport.
The initiative is expected to strengthen trade by enabling faster movement of Kashmir’s produce, including saffron, walnuts and handicrafts, to markets across the country—(KNO)