Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday inaugurated India鈥檚 largest Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal for automobiles at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd鈥檚 Manesar facility in Haryana. The new terminal is expected to significantly improve rail-based logistics efficiency for the automotive sector.
The facility connects to Patli railway station via a 10-kilometre dedicated rail line, forming part of the 121.7-kilometre Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor being developed by the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC). The link was built at a cost of Rs 8 billion, with HRIDC contributing Rs 6.84 billion and Maruti Suzuki funding the remainder.
With a loading capacity of 450,000 vehicles annually, the Manesar terminal boasts one of the highest capacities among automobile cargo terminals in India. The project is aligned with the government鈥檚 PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which seeks to integrate and modernise the country鈥檚 logistics and infrastructure systems.
Speaking at the event, Vaishnaw highlighted broader initiatives by Indian Railways to improve both freight and passenger services. He announced the expansion of Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) trains, with over 100 sets to be upgraded from 8鈥�12 coaches to 16鈥�20 coaches to serve short-distance commuters more effectively. A new factory in Kazipet, Andhra Pradesh, will support MEMU train production.
Vaishnaw also shared updates on the Namo Bharat train initiative, with 50 new trains planned to meet increasing passenger demand. For 2023鈥�24, Indian Railways transported around 7.2 billion passengers and moved 1.617 billion tonnes of freight, achieving the world鈥檚 second-highest freight volume.
In terms of ticketing reforms, from 1 July 2025, only Aadhaar-authenticated and KYC-verified users will be allowed to book Tatkal tickets during the initial 30-minute window. A pilot project in the Bikaner Division now allows reservation charts to be prepared 24 hours ahead of train departures, instead of the usual four hours.
The minister also mentioned the rollout of Amrit Bharat trains, with three currently operational and six more launching soon. Production for an additional 50 trains is underway. Meanwhile, the Railway Coach Factory in Sonipat is being modernised and will soon be inaugurated to increase production capacity.
