Rail route revolutionises car deliveries in Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct 12: A week after the first batch of Maruti Suzuki vehicles arrived in Kashmir by rail, automobile dealers in the valley are optimistic that the new transport route will improve business and reduce delivery delays.

Currently, the service operates twice a week, but dealers are urging Indian Railways to increase both frequency and capacity to meet growing demand.

“The demand is high, and this limited frequency cannot fulfill market requirements,” said Baldev Singh, chairman of Peaks Automobile Ltd. “We still have to send drivers to Jammu to fetch cars for customers, as the Atal and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee tunnels are not designed for car carriers.”

Officials said approximately 1,500 Maruti Suzuki vehicles are sold in Kashmir each month by the four main dealers—Peaks Auto Pvt. Ltd, Jamkash Pvt. Ltd, Competent Motors, and Kathroo Pvt. Ltd.

A single goods train can carry up to 160 vehicles, but the first two consignments delivered only 116 and 108 vehicles, respectively.

Despite the rail service, Singh noted that nearly 90 percent of vehicles still arrive in the valley by road.

“Cars can get stuck during road blockages or highway closures, leading to losses for companies. If logistics are regularised and frequency increased, all Maruti Suzuki vehicles could reach by rail within a few months,” he said.

He added that with reduced GST and potential lower freight charges, customers could eventually benefit from lower prices.

Waseem Kathroo, managing director of Kathroo Pvt. Ltd, said his dealership received 19 vehicles in the first consignment and 18 in the second. Normally, around 200 vehicles arrive by road daily.

“We usually get supplies from Manesar in Haryana, though the northern region receives most vehicles from Kharkhoda in Gujarat. Our stockyard is at Sangam, and deliveries are made at Wanpoh and Srinagar,” Kathroo said. “It is the dream of many customers to take the first drive of their new car, and with rail transport, that dream will come true sooner.”

Kathroo added that cancellations are expected to drop significantly. “Earlier, the long transit from Jammu to Srinagar caused delays, and sometimes our staff had to drive cars on the highway. In case of an accident, dealers bore the cost. Now, vehicles will arrive directly from the factory to the valley,” he said.

Irfan Ahmad Narwaroo, managing director of Jamkash Vehicleades (Kashmir) Pvt. Ltd, the valley’s largest Maruti dealership, said the new railway dispatches would save time, reduce wear and tear, and improve customer satisfaction.

“Earlier, new cars would already have clocked around 300 km when customers received them. Now that can be avoided. Availability will no longer be an issue,” he said.

According to dealers, the first train carried 116 vehicles, distributed as follows: Jamkash Vehiclades – 86; Competent Motors – 13; Kathroo Pvt. Ltd – 17. The second train carried 108 vehicles: Jamkash Vehiclades – 63; Competent Motors – 28; Kathroo Pvt. Ltd – 10; Peaks Auto Pvt. Ltd – 7.

Dealers said the arrangement will shorten waiting periods and reduce cancellations. “If this rail system continues, it will ensure faster deliveries and better customer response,” Narwaroo said.

On October 3, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. announced the arrival of the first batch of vehicles in Kashmir by rail, becoming the first automobile manufacturer in the country to dispatch vehicles to the valley via Indian Railways.

The maiden train, carrying over 100 vehicles including Brezza, Dzire, WagonR, and S-Presso models, departed from Maruti Suzuki’s newly inaugurated Manesar in-plant railway siding and covered over 850 kilometers to reach the new Anantnag terminal. The route crossed the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River, part of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw called the new transport link a “game changer” for Jammu and Kashmir. “In recent times, apples from the valley have been transported using the J&K rail link. Now, Maruti Suzuki cars will also reach Kashmir by rail,” he said.

Maruti Suzuki Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said railway dispatches are a key part of the company’s logistics strategy.

“We are grateful to the Prime Minister, under whose leadership transformative infrastructure projects have come up across the country. The world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River is one such landmark, enabling seamless and efficient connectivity to the Kashmir Valley,” Takeuchi said.