LG congratulates Indian Railways after foodgrain freight train reaches Kashmir

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha has congratulated the Indian Railways after first-ever foodgrain freight train reached Kashmir valley carrying approximately 1384 tonnes of rice.

The Lieutenant Governor said this is undoubtedly a very memorable occasion and realises our long-cherished dream of connecting the Kashmir region to the national freight network. He observed that the movement of freight trains will benefit people, enterprises and infrastructure projects without the risk of adverse weather conditions throughout the year and ease the pressure on the National Highway-44.
The Lieutenant Governor expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw for making economic progress of J&K an integral part of Bharat’s rapid growth.
For the first time, a Food Corporation of India (FCI) foodgrain freight train, consisting of 21 BCN wagons, successfully arrived at Anantnag Goods Terminal in south Kashmir on Sunday, Northern Railway’s Jammu division said in a statement.
This grain-laden freight train reached Kashmir from Punjab without any hindrance and in a much shorter time compared to road transport, the statement said.
“This is a moment of pride for the Railways. This freight train will act as an economic bridge between Punjab and Kashmir. In the coming times, the operation of FCI foodgrain freight trains by the Railways will play a major role in providing infrastructural support to the economy,” Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu, Uchit Singhal said. Highlighting the advantages, he said this initiative would reduce traffic congestion on the busy NH-44.
“Rail transport facilitates better and more efficient supply chain management of foodgrains, leading to improved planning and distribution,” he said.