Railway News: India’s Largest Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal Inaugurated at Maruti Suzuki Plant in Manesar
New Delhi, 17th June 2025: Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated India’s largest automobile Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal at Maruti Suzuki India Limited’s Manesar plant in Haryana on Tuesday.
The terminal, strategically integrated with a 10 km dedicated rail link to Patli railway station, forms a key part of the 121.7 km Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor being developed by the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC). Built at an investment of ₹800 crore, the project includes ₹684 crore funded by HRIDC and the remainder by Maruti Suzuki. The terminal has a loading capacity of 4.5 lakh automobiles per annum, one of the highest in the country.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Minister highlighted a decade-long transformation in Indian Railways. He noted that the annual budget for the Railways, which stood at ₹24,000–25,000 crore before 2014, has now increased to ₹2.5 lakh crore. He emphasized the improvement of passenger amenities and expansion of General Coaches, with over 1,200 added in the last year alone.
He also announced the upgrade of over 100 MEMU trains, increasing their composition from 8 to 12 or even 16 to 20 coaches to benefit short-distance commuters. A new factory has been set up at Kazipet in Andhra Pradesh for MEMU train manufacturing.
On the Namo Bharat initiative, Vaishnaw said that 50 new Namo Bharat trains will be produced, following the positive response to the two currently operational trains.
In terms of operational performance, Indian Railways transported approximately 720 crore passengers and 1,617 million tonnes of freight in the 2023–24 financial year, placing it second globally in freight volume.
The Minister also announced a new rule for Tatkal ticket bookings, effective from July 1, 2025. Only Aadhaar-authenticated and KYC-verified users will be permitted to book Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking window.
A pilot project in the Bikaner Division is also underway where passenger reservation charts are being prepared 24 hours in advance, instead of the previous 4-hour window, to improve passenger convenience.
Regarding the Amrit Bharat Trains, Vaishnaw said three are currently operational and have received a positive response. Six more trains will be launched soon, with 50 additional trains under production.
Addressing Haryana-specific developments, the Minister highlighted that the annual railway budget allocation for the state has risen from ₹300 crore in 2014 to ₹3,416 crore this year. Over the last 11 years, 823 km of new rail lines have been laid, and the entire railway network in Haryana has been electrified.
He further stated that infrastructure projects worth ₹11,800 crore are ongoing in the state. These include the redevelopment of 34 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and the construction of 540 road overbridges and underpasses.
The Railway Coach Factory in Sonipat is also undergoing modernization and will soon be ready for inauguration.
The event was attended by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Haryana Industries Minister Rao Narbir Singh, MLA Mukesh Sharma, and Maruti Suzuki India Limited CEO and Managing Director Hisashi Takeuchi.
