The Railways held a meeting with the Horticulture Department, fruit growers, traders and aggregators in Srinagar to finalise arrangements for the safe, timely and economical transportation of apples during the 2026 season. Railway officials from the Jammu Division, including the Assistant Commercial Manager and Assistant Operations Manager, attended along with officials of the Horticulture Department and around 30-35 representatives of growers, farmers, traders and aggregators both physically and virtually. Detailed logistics and scheduling were reviewed to reduce delays and minimise spoilage.

Discussions focused on the movement of fruit from the Anantnag and Pampore goods sheds and on parcel train operations from Budgam to Adarsh Nagar in Delhi. Officials outlined plans to include consignments in scheduled routes and to arrange parcel van rakes and BCN wagons on priority where required. Connectivity options to major fruit markets such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata were assessed to ensure timely delivery.

Participants recalled that the Jammu Division transported around 20,000 tonnes (t) of apples to markets across the country during the 2025 season using goods trains, JPP-RCS parcel trains, parcel vans and BCN wagons. It was agreed that the Directorate of Horticulture would provide the Railways with details of expected apple volumes and transportation requirements within one week to enable timely allocation of rakes and wagons. Railway representatives urged aggregators and traders to submit indents in advance and to use online request systems so that consignments can be accommodated in scheduled services.

Officials said rail transport offers a more economical option than road movement by helping to reduce per-box freight costs and by providing continuity when highways are closed due to landslides or bad weather. The meeting also discussed bulk movement through parcel vans and BCN wagons and the prioritisation of routes from Budgam to major markets. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uchit Singhal reiterated the Railways' commitment to support the horticulture sector and set a target to transport more apples via rail in 2026 than in 2025. Participating aggregators signalled their willingness to cooperate with the Railways for the upcoming season.