First automobile rake with 116 vehicles on board set to reach Kashmir today

The Northern Railway on Wednesday dispatched the first automobile rake ferrying 116 vehicles from Manesar in Haryana to south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

The first-ever freight train carrying cement successfully reached the Anantnag goods shed in south Kashmir from Rupnagar in Punjab on August 9, marking a significant milestone in connecting the Kashmir region to the national freight network.

“The first automobile rake has been dispatched by Northern Railways from Maruti Suzuki India Limited in-plant Gati Shakti Terminal (GCT) at Manesar to Anantnag Goods Shed in the Kashmir valley today,” Railways PRO, Jammu division, said.

The auto train, carrying over 116 passenger vehicles, including Brezza, Dzire, WagonR and S-Presso, departed from Manesar at 12.35 pm on Wednesday and will cover a distance of 850 kilometres in about 45 hours.

“It is scheduled to reach the newly opened Anantnag railway terminal at 10 am on October 3,” he said.

On its way to Anantnag, the train will pass over the world’s highest railway arch bridge across the Chenab river, he added.

Officials said rail connectivity to the valley under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project has strengthened regional connectivity, improved logistics efficiency and eased road congestion significantly.

Since August 9, several freight trains carrying the Army’s winter stock, fruits and other items have reached Kashmir from various destinations and returned with goods including fruits.