Srinagar, Sept. 12 -- For the first time, railways will ferry Kashmir fruits especially apples directly from the Valley to the rest of the country. The move will bring relief to the horticulture sector in Kashmir Valley, which has suffered losses due to the prolonged closure of the National Highway 44, or the Srinagar-Jammu highway, due to torrential rains and floods in the Union territory. The two cargos loaded with different varieties of apples will depart for Delhi on Thursday night. Growers say that from September 15, eight cargos loaded with apples will depart from Budgam to different mandies across the country on a daily basis. Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on X informed that the Jammu-Srinagar railway is introducing daily time tabled train from Budgam in Kashmir Valley to Adarsh Nagar station in Delhi, which is going to empower Kashmir's apple growers. "With the Jammu-Srinagar line operational, the Kashmir valley has better connectivity. Railways is introducing a daily time-tabled parcel train from Budgam in Kashmir valley to Adarsh Nagar station in Delhi starting 13th September 2025." He said that the loading of two parcel vans carrying apples from Budgam to Delhi is beginning on Thursday . J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah thanked the railways minister. "It took about a week of close coordination between the railway ministry officials and officers in my secretariat with inputs from the J&K Agriculture Production Department to get to the point where our harvested fruit is now being transported by train. With the NH continuing to give us trouble this has become a source of great relief for growers whose produce risked rotting because it wasn't reaching the market. My thanks to Ashwini Vaishnaw for responding to my calls & endless messages to get to this off the ground," Omar wrote on X. Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha said the start of this service will bring huge relief to apple growers. Growers are upbeat about the start of cargo service. "For us it's very big news and we have been waiting for this for decades," said Bashir Ahmad Bashir, president Fruit Growers and Dealers Association Kashmir. "The loading of two cargoes of 18 tons each will begin today, one for Jammu and another for Delhi. From September 15, the authorities had informed us they will run eight cargos everyday. This is going to be a big relief for us, especially when we witness frequent highway disruption. From the last three to four years due to highway issues we suffered huge losses."...