In a first, automobiles reach Kashmir by rail

In a first, over 100 vehicles were transported on a train from Haryana to Kashmir Valley, covering a distance of nearly 850 km.

The automobile rake reached Anantnag goods shed early on Friday morning after which different models of Maruti Suzuki cars were unloaded from it and sent to the dealers.

It was for the first time that any car manufacturer sent the vehicles in an automobile rake to Kashmir. Earlier, the vehicles were sent via road from Jammu to Kashmir as there was no availability of rail network to the Valley.

During the winter and monsoon seasons, when the vital Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remains disrupted due to landslides and shooting stones, the dealers of different companies used to face hard time.

Maruti Suzuki became the first company in the country to utilise Indian Railways’ services for dispatching vehicles to Kashmir.

Officials from the Northern Railways confirmed the successful unloading operation, calling it a “significant leap forward” in the region’s freight connectivity.

The train, dispatched from Maruti Suzuki India Limited’s Gati Shakti Terminal in Manesar, Haryana, arrived in the early hours of Friday, completing a journey of over 850 km in approximately 45 hours.

“This marks the Valley’s entry into a new era of streamlined and cost-effective automobile logistics,” a railway official said.

The arrival of the automobile rake directly to Anantnag is expected to significantly reduce the cost of transportation for the manufacturers and dealers.

Railway officials informed that the rake successfully passed through the world’s highest rail arch bridge on the Chenab and the cable-stayed Anji Khad bridge — both in Reasi district of Jammu region. They said that the successful run of the automobile rake would attract more revenue for the Railways.

The train that started from Haryana on October 1 reached Anantnag at 11 am on Friday. The total fare generated through the journey was approximately Rs 9 lakh.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Uchit Singhal, stated that this marks a new chapter in the history of automobile transportation logistics in J&K.