SRINAGAR: A week after launching its first-ever automobile rake to Kashmir carrying 116 vehicles, Indian Railways successfully completed the first simultaneous unloading of New Modified Goods (NMG) rakes loaded with Maruti Suzuki vehicles at two major goods terminals in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian Railways successfully carried out simultaneous unloading of two NMG rakes loaded with over 230 Maruti Suzuki vehicles on the same day at two major goods shed terminals in J&K - Bari Brahmana in Jammu and Anantnag in south Kashmir.
The two NMG automobile rakes were transported from Gurgaon to Bari Brahmana Goods Shed and Anantnag goods terminals.
A Railway official said 113 vehicles of various models and categories were unloaded from the rakes at Bari Brahmana terminal in Jammu while 118 vehicles were unloaded from rakes at Anantnag terminal.
It is the first time such a large number of vehicles have been unloaded at both goods terminals of the Jammu Railway Division in a single day.
The vehicles unloaded include Alto, Brezza, Eeco, Dzire, Wagon R, S-Presso, Ignis, Super Carry, and Ertiga.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Division Uchit Singhal said this is a historic day for logistics in J&K.
He said the growing preference of trade and industry for Indian Railways over road transport is a testament to the cost and time efficiencies offered by the Railways.
According to Singhal, with a strong portfolio of freight products, Indian Railways has become a preferred mode of transport not only for perishable goods, courier services, and cement, but now also for automobiles in large quantities.
The arrival of the automobile rake marks a significant milestone in transportation of vehicles to Kashmir directly from the manufacturing plant.
Earlier, the new vehicles had to be driven to car dealerships in the Valley via the 270-kms long Srinagar-Jammu highway from Jammu in absence of rail services.
According to car dealers this initiative from Indian Railways would save transit time.
“The transit time used to affect this industry in the Valley. It used to be very hectic and problematic to transport new vehicles from Jammu to Srinagar. Now the vehicles are reaching directly from the factory to the Valley. It is a great initiative and will benefit customers and the dealers,” they said.
Automobile industry is the second sector that has used commercial railways for transportation.
On August 1, the first-ever freight train reached the Valley carrying 1,400 tonnes of cement.
The Railways also recently started freight train ferrying famed Kashmiri apples from the Valley to markets outside.
