First-ever cement-carriage rail traffic begins in Jammu Div

Jammu Tawi, Sep 13: Jammu Division of Northern Railway has achieved a major milestone in freight traffic with the placement of its first-ever cement loading indent, connecting Shaheed Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary Kathua Railway Station with Anantnag Railway Station in Kashmir Valley.

An indent for one BCN rake carrying cement bags has been placed, with loading scheduled to commence from September 14. The movement will mark the first intra-divisional rail transportation of cement from one station of Jammu Division to another.

The development follows sustained efforts by the Business Development Unit (BDU) of Jammu Division, which held several rounds of meetings with Ganpati Cement, Kathua, and persuaded the company to transport its product to the Valley by rail.

The railway said the movement represents a new traffic for Jammu Division as well as a new Origin-Destination (O-D) pair successfully captured by the division.

The company has assured that the traffic will continue regularly and in larger quantities in the future, depending on market demand in the Kashmir Valley.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Division, Uchit Singhal, termed the development a major achievement, saying the new traffic was the result of sustained efforts by the freight marketing team.

He said the initiative would help make railways a more economical, safe and environment-friendly transportation option for traders, while creating an important link for the supply of construction material to the Valley.

The railway said the initiative is also aligned with the vision of Prime Minister’s PM Gati Shakti and promotion of environment-friendly transportation.