Railways to offer concessional freight rates to transport Kashmir fruit

SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir Horticulture Department and Northern Railway have initiated discussions to facilitate the transportation of Kashmir’s horticultural produce by train, with the Railways offering concessional freight rates to encourage traders to shift consignments from road to rail.

The proposal was discussed at a meeting held on Thursday in the office of the Director, Horticulture Planning and Marketing, where officials examined arrangements for transporting fruit consignments through available railway services.

During the meeting, Railway officials highlighted concessional freight rates aimed at increasing the utilisation of Joint Parcel Product–Rapid Cargo Service (JPP-RCS) trains on their return journeys.

The initiative seeks to utilise available cargo capacity while encouraging fruit traders and transporters to consider rail as an alternative to road transportation.

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The Director, Horticulture Planning and Marketing, stressed the need for coordination among the department, Northern Railway and the cargo aggregator to ensure that the proposed arrangements translate into the actual movement of horticultural produce.

The discussions come as Kashmir’s current fruit season approaches its final stage, leaving a limited window for growers and traders to benefit from the proposed transportation arrangement.

Kashmir’s horticulture sector depends heavily on transporting fresh produce to markets outside the Valley, making freight costs, schedules and timely delivery important considerations for growers and traders.

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Rail-based transportation could provide an additional option for moving consignments, although its commercial viability would depend on freight charges, cargo handling arrangements, train schedules and the availability of collection and delivery facilities.

The meeting did not specify when the first consignment would be dispatched, the proposed freight rates or the volume of fruit expected to be transported. The destinations to be covered and the process through which growers and traders could access the service also remain unclear.

Officials stressed that coordination between the concerned agencies would be essential to ensure effective use of railway facilities during the remaining fruit season.