The Railway Board has approved a cargo train between Delhi and Budgam in the Kashmir valley to benefit the local population and the business class.
A circular dated August 20 said the Railway Board examined the proposal of the Northern Railway Zone under which the Jammu Division falls, and decided to accord approval for a Joint Parcel Product-Rapid Cargo (JPP-RCS) train service on the Badgam-Adarsh Nagar(Delhi)-Badgam route on daily basis.
“The train service shall operate with eight VPs (parcel vans) and one SLR (seating-cum-luggage rake). It will have an intermediate loading/unloading facility as Baribrahman (BBMN),” the circular said.
It added that the service will initially run on pilot basis for one year from the date of operation.
“Northern Railway shall coordinate with the state police in matters connected to the security of running this train. Security of the parcels shall be ensured at both the originating and terminating ends. Scanning of the parcels shall be ensured in consultation with the state police,” the Railway Board said.
It added, “Half-yearly review may also be carried out to assess the effectiveness of the pilot project from time to time. Necessary instructions may be given to the staff concerned and wide publicity may be done among the stakeholders, especially in the Jammu Division.”
Officials from the Jammu Division said the initiative aims to increase the share of Railways in the courier business and provide an efficient, reliable and economical option to the customers.
“This service is focused to benefit the business class. Its main objective is to showcase the unique products of Jammu and Kashmir, such as dry fruits and handicrafts, and to encourage their marketing in India and abroad,” Uchit Singhal, senior commercial manager, Jammu Division, said.
“This train will reach its destination station Adarsh Nagar (Delhi) safely in about 23 hours, which is less time than road traffic from Budgam. Products such as apples, saffron, walnuts, pashmina shawls, carpets and Kashmiri handicrafts can be transported faster than ever now,” he added.
