Indian Railways launches time-tabled cargo services in northern region

The Indian Railways has rolled out a series of scheduled, commodity-specific freight services across the northern region, a strategic move aimed at revolutionising logistics by connecting key industrial and agricultural hubs with reliable, time-tabled transport.

According to the official statement of Indian Railways, “These new services, which began as trials and are now operating efficiently, are designed to enhance supply chain predictability and offer industry-specific solutions. The goal is to improve customer satisfaction, ensure reliable transit times, and provide industry-aligned logistics solutions.”

The initiatives include four specialized routes:

• Annapurna Service: Transporting foodgrains from Ludhiana to Varanasi.
• Gati-Vahan Service: Moving automobiles from Farrukhnagar in Haryana to Lucknow.
• Niryaat Cargo Service: Ferrying export containers from Garhi to Mundra Port.
• Anantnag Cement Cargo Service: Delivering cement from Roopnagar in Punjab to Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The services were developed following extensive planning and coordination with major freight stakeholders like the Food Corporation of India (FCI), automobile manufacturers, and container train operators,” the statement added.

Maruti Suzuki said, “With the Gati-Vahan Service, noting that transit time has been slashed from 70 hours to just 28 hours, making rail a competitive alternative to road transport for meeting delivery commitments.”

Similarly, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) said the Annapurna Service is streamlining the dispatch of sponsored foodgrains from the surplus states of Punjab and Haryana to deficit areas in Uttar Pradesh, allowing for better planning of labour and trucking at unloading points.

"With scheduled timings and advance information on train arrivals and departures, these services are enabling better logistics planning for both consignors and consignees," the railways' statement added.