India's largest auto cargo terminal inaugurated at Maruti Suzuki's Manesar plant
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday inaugurated the country's largest automobile
Gati Shakti
Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal at
Maruti Suzuki
India Ltd.'s manufacturing facility in Manesar, Haryana. The terminal marks a major milestone under the government's Gati Shakti initiative aimed at boosting integrated and efficient logistics infrastructure.
Connected to Patli railway station through a dedicated 10-km rail link, the terminal forms part of the 121.7-km-long Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor being developed by the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC). The project has been built at a total cost of ₹800 crore, with HRIDC contributing ₹684 crore and Maruti Suzuki funding the remainder.
With a vehicle loading capacity of 4.5 lakh units per year, the Manesar terminal now holds the distinction of being India's highest-capacity
automobile cargo terminal
.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Vaishnaw highlighted the transformation in Indian Railways over the past decade. 'Before 2014, the annual railway budget was around ₹25,000 crore. Today, it stands at ₹2.5 lakh crore,' he said, adding that over 1,200 general coaches were added in the last year alone.
The minister announced plans to upgrade over 100 MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) trains to 16–20 coaches to cater to rising short-distance passenger demand. A new MEMU manufacturing facility has also been commissioned in Kazipet, Andhra Pradesh.
Vaishnaw shared Indian Railways' impressive performance in FY 2023–24, transporting 720 crore passengers and 1,617 million tonnes of freight—making India the second-largest freight rail network in the world.
In a significant change for passengers, the minister announced that from July 1, Tatkal ticket bookings during the first 30 minutes of the window will be restricted to Aadhaar-authenticated and KYC-verified users.
Other ongoing reforms include a pilot project in Bikaner Division where reservation charts are prepared 24 hours in advance, compared to the current four-hour window.
Vaishnaw also spoke about expanding rail services, noting that three Amrit Bharat trains are operational, with six more to be launched soon. Production of 50 additional trains is underway.
Focusing on Haryana's rail infrastructure development, he said the state's railway budget allocation has increased from ₹300 crore in 2014 to ₹3,416 crore in 2024. 'In the last 11 years, 823 km of new rail lines have been built and 100% of Haryana's railway network has been electrified,' he noted.
Currently, infrastructure projects worth ₹11,800 crore are being executed in the state, including redevelopment of 34 stations and construction of 540 road overbridges and underpasses.
The event saw the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Industries Minister Rao Narbir Singh, local MLA Mukesh Sharma, and Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. MD & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi.
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