SRINAGAR, SEPT 19: Kashmir is likely to get a new freight transportation facility with Indian Railways preparing to introduce Roll-On/Roll-Off (RORO) services for carrying loaded trucks by train to destinations outside the Valley, railway officials said.
Under the proposed arrangement, trucks carrying goods will be loaded directly onto specially designed flat wagons, allowing both the vehicles and their cargo to travel by rail.
The service is expected to provide an alternative to transporting freight entirely by road, particularly over longer distances.
Railway officials said preparations for the proposed service are in progress, while details concerning the launch date, routes, frequency and other operational modalities are expected to be announced shortly.
The proposed initiative follows the commissioning of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), which has established an all-weather rail connection between Kashmir and the rest of the country.
The Railways has also stepped up freight movement on the newly connected network, with various goods consignments already reaching the Kashmir Valley by train.
The RORO service, once operational, could provide transporters, traders and businesses with an additional logistics option by shifting a portion of long-distance truck movement from roads to rail.
A formal notification from the Railway authorities regarding the launch of the service and its operational framework is awaited.
