Srinagar, May 25 -- The Railways has initiated the dispatch of the season's first special parcel van carrying fresh cherries from Jammu to Mumbai, ensuring faster transportation of the highly perishable fruit to one of the country's largest markets. Railway officials said around 12 tonnes of premium-quality cherries, packed in nearly 966 boxes, were loaded into the first parcel van on Sunday. The van will be attached to the Jammu Tawi-Bandra Terminus Vivek Express train, scheduled to leave Jammu at 5.45 am on Monday. Senior divisional commercial manager, Jammu, Uchit Singhal, said that the Railways is committed to ensuring that the hard work of J&K's orchardists gets the right price and a nationwide market. "Cherry is an extremely delicate fruit, and delivering it to the market within hours is a challenge. Our team has prepared special logistics for this. We have sufficient parcel vans and resources available this season to meet every demand of the traders," he said. Singhal said that apart from the 28 special parcel van bookings received so far, space available in SLR coaches of regular trains will continue to be utilised, enabling small and medium traders to transport low-volume consignments safely and economically. "This is a major leap by the Railways towards delivering J&K's horticulture produce to every corner of the country in record time," said Raghvender Singh, public relations officer of Railway's Jammu Division. "Keeping in mind the delicate freshness of the fruit, the Railways has made special arrangements. This parcel van will reach Bandra Terminus from Jammu in a record time of just 33 hours. Such fast delivery will preserve the quality of the cherries, and the people of Mumbai will get the taste of fresh cherries picked straight from the orchards," said Singh. This initiative is expected to strengthen the horticulture economy of Jammu and Kashmir by reducing spoilage, lowering transportation uncertainties, and expanding market access for growers. Railway officials highlighted that faster transit and improved handling facilities will help cherry producers achieve better returns while delivering fresh produce to consumers across the country....