From Roads to Rails

The plight of apple growers in Kashmir is not a natural inevitability—it is a man-made failure - of logistics, policy, and planning. Kashmir’s apple sector, involving lakhs of small and medium size growers, is repeatedly brought to its knees by frequent closures of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the region’s primary arterial link to the rest of the country. The 2024 season alone saw estimated losses of over ₹1000 crore, a staggering burden on an already fragile economy. 2025 seems to be repeating the same tragic story. The real tragedy is this: these losses are avoidable.

So, what is the way forward? 

Are there ways which can improve logistics, enhance marketing efficiency, protect apple-growers’ livelihoods and increase their profitability. And at the same time enhance environmental benefits. Indeed, this is possible through shifts in the apple marketing infrastructure and logistics. Here are a few thoughts for the consideration of relevant authorities and apple value chain actors.

Highway Bottlenecks and Grower Losses.

Currently, about 95% of valley’s apple exports rely on truck-based surface transport. This mode of transport is highly vulnerable to landslides, snowfall disruptions, and traffic bottlenecks; prone to spoilage, particularly during long Srinagar-Jammu highway closures. And when the road opens, this often culminates in sudden glutting of fruit markets (mandis), triggering price crashes. Moreover, truck-based surface transport mode has a high environmental and carbon footprint which is not visible to the naked eye.

A Railway-Based Solution provides a win-win opportunity for the grower as well as region’s environment. Shifting to rail mode will lower transport costs per tonne/km compared to trucking; and cause less spoilage due to reliable and temperature-stable transport. It will allow for more stable pricing and prices through staggered, scheduled delivery to mandis. And ultimately securing higher farm-gate prices via point-to-point delivery to wholesalers and/or retailers will translate into increased growers’ share in the retail price.

This transport mode shift will have several economic multiplier effects. This includes railway terminals can emerge as new economic hubs, generating allied employment. However, there will be some trade-offs such as reduced business for the current truckers. This risk can be mitigated by providing incentives to trucking industry to focus on farm-to-rail and high-risk goods transport that may not be suitable for rail transport such as highly inflammable oil and gas products. Artificial intelligence (AI) enabled logistics platforms can optimize routes, manage harvest-based pickups, and ensure traceability from farm-gate to consumer.

In addition to enhancing growers’ profitability, this modal shift also improves environmental performance of the apple sector. For example, rail emits 75–80% less CO₂ per tonne-km than road transport. Moreover, reduced highway congestion will on one hand reduce truckers fuel consumption and costs, and on the other start bending down the region’s air pollution curve. This will directly contribute to India’s climate targets through green logistics transformation.

  The transition and transformation of valley’s apple marketing infrastructure require a dedicated apple freight rail corridor (AFRC). AFRC will use the existing Baramulla–Banihal–Katra/Jammu railway line during night time, when passenger trains are not running. Rail freight infrastructure will include an integrated Apple Freight Terminals with cold storage and digital inventory facility; and seamless freight connectivity to major urban markets i.e., Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and beyond.

However, as indicated earlier, this transition has to be responsible and fair. Therefore, trucking sector and operators have to be engaged from the very beginning of this transition. Support for re-skilling and repurposing trucking jobs for last-mile logistic; intensified linkages with SME logistics companies focused on rail-linked supply and marketing chains; and providing affordable credit access for truckers to invest in new roles and vehicles suitable for transport of high-risk goods not conducive to rail transport.

This transition can start today by increasing and scaling up rail-based apple transport from Sopore, Shopian, and Anantnag. Followed by developing a Rail-Logistics artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled decision support system (DSS). This can be done in partnership with science and technology institutions in Jammu and Kashmir and nationally, and relevant private sector actors. Forging partnerships with Indian Railways; National Horticulture Board, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, and horticulture departments is a must. These initiatives align with Prime Minister’s Gati Shakti, Green Freight Corridor, and Doubling Farmers’ Income missions.

We have the infrastructure, technology and know-how to stop treating growers’ suffering as inevitable. Our educational and technological institutions have the intellectual and the technological muscle to provide our growers with reliable, sustainable, and equitable logistics. The rail route is not just an alternative—it can be a green and sustainable lifeline for our apple growers and region’s economy.

Javed Hussain Mir, Professor of Practice, Sustainable Development IUST, Awantipora, Kashmir.