Jammu, Sept 22: Northern Railways on Monday supplied 21 container-based wagons to ferry apples from Kashmir, marking another initiative to support the apple industry, officials said.
More than 6,400 tons of apples have been transported from Kashmir to Delhi in the last week, using both bogie covered wagons (BCN) and parcel coaches from the Anantnag Goods Shed Terminal in the Kashmir Valley.
“A total of 21 wagons were supplied at Bari Brahmana for loading. Each wagon accommodated almost 76 special containers, each weighing 40 kilograms,” officials said.
In another effort to support the apple industry, the Jammu Railway division arranged for crates and racks meant for apple storage in cold storage units in Lassipora in Pulwama district, South Kashmir, to be loaded onto a BCN rake from Bari Brahmana Railway Station destined for Anantnag.
For the first time, puff panels — insulated steel panels used for temperature-controlled apple storage — were also unloaded at Anantnag. “These puff panels provide insulation and energy efficiency, enabling better temperature-controlled storage houses for apples,” an official said.
The Jammu division of Northern Railway continues to operate parcel trains carrying apples from Kashmir to Delhi to transport perishable goods efficiently.
“Continuing this trend, over 6,400 tons of apples have been transported from Kashmir to Adarsh Nagar, Delhi, using both BCN covered wagons and parcel coaches from Anantnag Goods Shed Terminal,” they said.
The service commenced on September 11, 2025, with two parcel van coaches — one destined for Jammu and the other for Adarsh Nagar, Delhi.
“Each parcel van coach was loaded with approximately 23 tons of goods. This was considered a historic achievement, as a parcel van coach reached Adarsh Nagar from Budgam Railway Station in less than 21 hours, and another reached Jammu in less than six hours,” an official said.
On September 15, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off an eight-parcel van coach train, each with a weight capacity of 23 tons, from Srinagar to Adarsh Nagar in Delhi.
“These eight parcel van trains reached Delhi significantly faster than road transport,” officials said.
Expanding the parcel train service to transport other goods, over 500 tons of mustard oil and other food items have been transported from Bari Brahmana to Budgam so far, ensuring that essential supplies remain unaffected despite disruptions in road connectivity.
Northern Railways introduces container-based wagons to ferry apples from Kashmir
