JAMMU, Oct 19: Northern Railway has announced a series of initiatives to strengthen railway operations, reduce freight costs and improve transportation of agricultural produce in Jammu and Kashmir, including a new Integrated Control Office in Jammu, a 50 per cent concession on advance return parcel bookings and two proposed warehouses in Kashmir.
The initiatives aim to improve operational coordination, make rail-based cargo transportation more economical and strengthen storage and logistics infrastructure for the region’s agricultural sector, particularly apple growers and saffron traders.
The foundation stone for the Integrated Control Office (ICO) was laid by Jammu Divisional Railway Manager Vivek Kumar at Jammu Tawi on Monday. The facility will bring the control units of operating, engineering, signal and telecommunication, and electrical departments under one roof to improve coordination, train monitoring and operational efficiency.
A railway spokesperson said the office would be equipped with modern facilities and the latest technology, adding that it would help meet the division’s growing traffic requirements and support future expansion.
In a separate initiative aimed at reducing cargo transportation expenses, the Railway Board has introduced a 50 per cent discount on return trips booked in advance under the Joint Parcel Product-Rapid Cargo Service (JPP-RCS) scheme.
Under the scheme, traders booking parcel coaches for both directions will pay 1.5 times the normal one-way freight rate. The concession will be available across all JPP-RCS routes nationwide for one year on a pilot basis.
The initiative is expected to benefit Kashmir’s fruit growers and traders during the ongoing apple season by lowering logistics costs and facilitating more economical transportation to major markets, including Jammu, Delhi and Mumbai.
Uchit Singhal, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu, said the scheme would significantly reduce freight expenses, particularly for orchardists, fruit growers and cargo aggregators. The Jammu division has urged traders, industry associations and logistics operators to avail themselves of the facility.
Meanwhile, Northern Railway has invited tenders for developing two warehouses near Anantnag and Pampore railway stations to improve storage and transportation of local agricultural produce.
The facilities are proposed under the Railways’ Cargo Related Facility (CRF) policy, with private investors invited to develop and operate the warehouses for a lease period of 25 years.
Once established, the facilities are expected to provide apple growers and saffron traders with storage closer to railway stations, reduce loading and unloading costs and minimise post-harvest losses.
With the proposed warehouses at Anantnag and Pampore, Jammu and Kashmir will have three such facilities, including one at Bari Brahmana on the outskirts of Jammu city. The division had invited tenders for the Bari Brahmana project on October 13, making it the first warehouse project under the CRF policy in the division.
Officials said the proposed facilities would strengthen freight transportation, improve storage for perishable agricultural produce and create employment opportunities while supporting the region’s logistics infrastructure.
The tenders for the warehouse projects are available on the Indian Railways E-Procurement System portal.
