Jammu, Aug 9: Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday described the first freight train to the valley as a “significant milestone in connecting Kashmir to the national freight network.”
Vaishnaw took to social media to share the heartening news of the maiden arrival of a goods train at Anantnag Railway Station of the Jammu (Railway) division of Northern Railway.
He asserted that transportation by the railway network would reduce logistics costs for J&K citizens.
“First freight train to the Kashmir valley: Today (August 9, 2025), the first freight train reached the newly commissioned Anantnag Goods Shed in the Kashmir Valley from Punjab, marking a significant milestone in connecting the Kashmir region to the national freight network. Transportation by the railway network will reduce cost for our citizens living in the Kashmir valley,” Vaishnaw posted.
Notably, in a major push to bolster the logistics sector in Jammu and Kashmir in consonance with the long-pending demand of Kashmir traders, the Northern Railway has notified the opening of Anantnag Railway Station of Jammu (Railway) Division on August 7, 2025, for handling goods traffic with immediate effect.
It was stated that the decision was aimed at giving desired impetus, mainly to the agro-industrial sector in Kashmir, by significantly reducing transit time and logistic costs.
Station will handle both outward and inward goods traffic comprising all commodities except petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) through railway rakes from 6 am to 10 pm.
So far, the handling of goods traffic used to be dealt with at Udhampur Railway Station and Bari Brahmana for onward transportation to the Valley.
