Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurates Gati Shakti terminal in Manesar; 450,000-vehicle capacity to boost green logistics.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated India’s largest automobile cargo terminal—the Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal—at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant, marking a milestone in India’s integrated logistics and green transport infrastructure.
Spread across 46 acres inside the Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (MSIL) facility, the terminal features a fully electrified railway siding with five tracks—four for full-length rakes and one for engine escape—totalling 8.2 km of track length. The siding is connected to Patli station via a 10-km corridor, part of the 121.7-km Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor, developed by HRIDC.
At full capacity, the terminal will dispatch up to 450,000 vehicles annually, reducing fuel usage by 60 million litres and cutting 175,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, supporting India’s Net Zero 2070 goal. Maruti Suzuki plans to raise its vehicle dispatch share by rail to 35% by FY 2030–31.
The terminal will cater to 17 regional hubs, linking 380 Indian cities and key export ports like Mundra and Pipavav, significantly enhancing Maruti’s national and international logistics footprint.
Speaking at the event, Vaishnaw stated that Indian Railways has undergone an unprecedented transformation over the last 11 years under PM Narendra Modi, with investments surging from ₹30,000 crore to ₹2.5 lakh crore annually. He also revealed that 108 multimodal terminals are ready, while 150 new passenger trains, including Amrit Bharat, NaMo Bharat, and Vande Bharat services, are in the pipeline.
Highlighting new developments, he announced the production of 16- and 20-coach MEMU trains at a new facility in Kazipet, Telangana, aimed at revolutionising short-distance passenger travel.
To combat misuse in Tatkal bookings, online ticketing from July 1 will require KYC verification, and ID proof will be mandatory for window bookings. Indian Railways now ranks second globally in both passenger and freight volume—with 7.2 billion passengers and 1617 million tonnes of freight transported in the last year alone.
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, also present, noted that the terminal reinforces the state’s emergence as a leading automobile hub, contributing nearly 50% of India’s car production. He said the project reflects the transformative vision of PM Gati Shakti, integrating rail, road, port, and logistics ecosystems to enhance ease of doing business.
Hisashi Takeuchi, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki, reiterated the company’s commitment to sustainability and logistics efficiency, stating that the facility is a game-changer for green automotive logistics in India.
Source: The New Indian Express
