Jammu and Kashmir’s horticulture sector had a bumper cherry harvest with a parcel train carrying 24 tonnes of fresh cherries departing from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra station for Mumbai’s Bandra Terminus on Saturday (May 31). The Northern Railway’s Jammu division hailed the move as a ‘historic’ step in enhancing freight connectivity for the region’s perishable produce.Originally scheduled for 3 June, the dispatch was advanced to accommodate two additional loading requests from Katra and Jammu stations in the coming days, according to railway officials.
“Today will be counted as a historic day in the recently created Jammu division of Northern Railway as railways took a unique initiative to transport 24 tonnes of cherry from Katra to Bandra Terminus,” said Uchit Singhal, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM), Northern Railway, Jammu.
Singhal explained that the initiative was possible through dialogue between railway authorities, fruit growers’ associations, and the Jammu and Kashmir horticulture department. He confirmed plans for two more cherry consignments to be transported from Katra and Jammu.Also read | 24 tonnes of cherries leave from Jammu and Kashmir for Mumbai”After this success, Jammu division has two more indents for loading of cherries, one from Katra and one from Jammu, in the coming days to transport the produce to different destination stations,” he said, adding that the effort marks a strong start for future freight operations and benefits both growers and the railway sector.Fruit growers in Kashmir welcomed the move, expressing hope that the long-awaited railway connection directly to the valley would materialise soon, enabling direct loading from stations within Kashmir.Ali Mohammad, a member of the New Kashmir Fruit Association in Srinagar, travelled to Katra to oversee the operation. “This is a very good initiative by the Northern Railways as it will not only reduce the time taken by the perishable produce to reach its destination but will also bring down the transportation charges,” he said.He noted that the cherries had been transported by truck from Kashmir to Katra before being loaded onto the parcel train, which departed at 10 am for Mumbai. He also voiced the aspirations of growers across the valley who hope for direct rail access soon.Also read | Mango fest in Sangareddy showcases 240 varieties, including rare ₹2 lakh Miyazaki mango”We request the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the rail service to Kashmir as soon as possible since the track is ready for a long time now. Earlier, we used to book the parcel train from Amritsar and this is for the first time we have booked the cargo from Katra and hope that the day is not far when we book it from stations in the valley itself,” he added.The planned inauguration of the direct rail service between Katra and Srinagar earlier this month was delayed due to adverse weather conditions. No revised date for the launch has been announced as yet.This latest development is being seen as a significant boost for the region’s fruit industry, offering faster and more cost-effective transportation of perishables to key markets across India.
