Budgam–Delhi cargo starts

A cargo train linking Budgam in Kashmir with Delhi began service on Friday, giving fruit growers a rail route that officials say can reach market in about 24 hours. (hindustantimes.com) Northern Railway said the service will run between Budgam and Adarsh Nagar, Delhi under the Joint Parcel Product–Rapid Cargo Service, or JPP-RCS. Reports on April 16 and April 17 said the initial run is scheduled from April 17 to May 31, 2026, on a trial basis. (kashmirlife.net) (swarajyamag.com) The published timetable puts the Budgam departure at 6:15 a.m. and the Delhi arrival at 5:00 a.m. the next day. The return train is listed to leave Delhi at 5:00 a.m. and reach Budgam at 10:45 a.m. the following day. (preciouskashmir.com) The immediate target is perishables from the Valley, especially cherries and peaches, which have a short selling window and lose value when trucks are delayed. Hindustan Times reported the train is meant to cut transit time for those shipments to roughly one day. (hindustantimes.com) The train also gives exporters another option beyond the Srinagar-Jammu highway, which growers and traders have repeatedly said is vulnerable to weather closures and traffic disruption. Greater Kashmir said the new service is being pitched as a faster and cheaper alternative after long complaints about erratic road transport. (greaterkashmir.com) Rail officials and local reports said the cargo mix is broader than summer fruit. The same service is expected to carry apples, saffron, walnuts, pashmina shawls and other handicrafts to markets outside Jammu and Kashmir. (greaterkashmir.com) (kashmirlife.net) This is not the first Budgam-Delhi parcel push, but a restart and expansion of a route the Railways had already tested. In September 2025, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off what The Hindu described as the first cargo parcel train from the Kashmir Valley to Delhi, with officials then saying 23 to 24 tonnes of perishables could move each day. (thehindu.com) (hindustantimes.com) Hindustan Times also reported that the Railway Board had approved a daily Budgam-Adarsh Nagar service with eight parcel vans and loading and unloading at Bari Brahmana. That earlier report said the train would run on a pilot basis in its first year. (hindustantimes.com) The next test is whether growers and traders use enough space to keep the train running after May 31. Northern Railway has told local outlets the service could be made permanent if the trial draws a strong response. (roshankashmir.net)