Kashmir gets first automobile rake as Maruti Suzuki rolls in cars by rail

The train, which arrived at the Anantnag Goods Shed in south Kashmir, carried 100 vehicles from Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant, according to a press release by the company.

This marks the first-ever automobile consignment to reach the Valley by rail.

With this, Maruti Suzuki has become the first car manufacturer in the country to use Indian Railways’ services to dispatch vehicles to the region.

“The maiden train carried Maruti Suzuki vehicles like Brezza, Dzire, WagonR and S-Presso, among others, departed from the recently inaugurated in-plant railway siding at Manesar,” a company spokesperson was quoted as saying by PTI.

The train travelled over 850 km to reach the newly opened Anantnag railway terminal in Jammu & Kashmir.

En route to Anantnag, the train crossed the world's highest railway arch bridge over Chenab river.

The bridge was inaugurated earlier this year as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project to strengthen regional connectivity and boost efficiency in logistics.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hailed the development as transformative for the region.

“The Jammu-Srinagar railway line is a game-changer for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Apples from the Valley are already being transported by train, and now Maruti Suzuki cars will follow,” Vaishnaw said.

Maruti Suzuki Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi highlighted the logistical significance of the move.

“Railway dispatches are central to our logistics strategy. We are grateful to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, under whose leadership, transformative infrastructure projects have come up across the country. The world’s highest railway arch bridge over Chenab river is one such landmark, enabling seamless and efficient connectivity to Kashmir valley and allowing Maruti Suzuki to better serve customers in the region,” Takeuchi stated.

Takeuchi added that the initiative aligns with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.

The company already operates two in-plant railway sidings at its Haryana and Gujarat facilities, enabling direct vehicle movement across India.

Local dealers also welcomed the step.

Irfan Ahmad Narwaroo, Managing Director of Jamkash Vehicleades (Kashmir) Pvt Ltd, the Valley’s largest Maruti dealership, said the railway dispatches would save time, reduce wear and tear, and improve customer satisfaction, according to PTI.

“Earlier, new cars would already have clocked around 300 km when customers received them. Now that can be avoided. Availability will not be an issue anymore,” he noted.