Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Oct 3: In a major boost to J&K’s transport infrastructure, the Valley today received its first-ever automobile consignment by rail.
According to officials, a freight rake carrying over 100 vehicles arrived early in the morning at the recently operationalised Goods Shed in south Kashmir’s Anantnag.
The train, dispatched from Maruti Suzuki India Limited’s Gati Shakti Terminal in Manesar, Haryana, completed a journey of more than 850 kilometres in nearly 45 hours before reaching its destination.
Officials said the successful unloading operation signals a “significant leap forward” in freight connectivity for Kashmir, with Maruti Suzuki becoming the first automobile manufacturer in the country to dispatch such a consignment by rail.
“This marks Kashmir’s entry into a new era of streamlined and cost-effective automobile logistics,” a Northern Railway official said in Anantnag.
Until now, vehicles bound for Kashmir had to be transported by road from railway terminals in Jammu or Punjab, leading to longer transit times and higher costs. That is set to change drastically now.
Local automobile dealers hailed the development as a breakthrough.
Speaking to reporters, Irfan Ahmad Narwaru, MD Jamkash Vehicleades, termed it a “revolution” for the sector.
“It is an important day for the automobile industry in Kashmir. We used to face difficulties due to bad weather and poor road conditions,” he said.
Narwaru added that transporting cars by train will also reduce waiting time, allowing customers to get their vehicles much sooner. “It is a great initiative, truly a revolution for Kashmir. Finally, good times have come.”
He noted that his company had been part of the process since the day the first freight train carrying cement reached the Valley.
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