In a bid to alleviate the struggles of apple growers in Kashmir, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday announced the launch of a daily parcel train service between Budgam in the Valley and Adarsh Nagar in Delhi.
The move comes as a relief to orchardists in south Kashmir, where hundreds of trucks laden with apple produce worth ₹200 crore are stranded due to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway for the past 13 days following landslips triggered by heavy rains. Many trucks had to unload rotten apples in orchards and on highways.
“Empowering Kashmir’s apple growers. With the Jammu-Srinagar line operational, the Kashmir Valley has better connectivity. Railways is introducing a daily time-tabled parcel train from Budgam in Kashmir Valley to Adarsh Nagar station in Delhi starting September 13, 2025,” Mr. Vaishnaw said on X.
Two parcel vans carrying apples from Budgam to Delhi were loaded on Thursday. “Each van will carry 23 metric tonnes of apples,” an official said.
The train will depart from the Budgam station at 6.15 a.m. on Saturday and reach Adarsh Nagar station at 5 a.m. the next day, “which is a suitable time for apples to arrive at the Delhi market early in the morning”, an official said.
