India’s logistics sector received a major boost with the inauguration of the country’s largest automobile Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal at Maruti Suzuki India’s Manesar facility in Haryana. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presided over the opening, calling it a cornerstone in India’s integrated freight transport vision. The terminal connects to Patli railway station via a dedicated 10-kilometer rail link built under the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor. Developed at a total cost of ₹800 crore, with ₹684 crore contributed by the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation and the remainder by Maruti Suzuki, the terminal has a loading capacity of 450,000 vehicles annually—making it one of the highest-capacity auto cargo hubs in the country.
Addressing the event, Vaishnaw emphasized a decade of transformation in Indian Railways. He noted that the national railway budget has increased tenfold since 2014, from ₹25,000 crore to ₹2.5 trillion, enabling widespread upgrades in infrastructure and passenger amenities. He announced plans to expand MEMU train capacity for daily commuters, establish a new train manufacturing facility in Kazipet, and increase the production of Namo Bharat trains from two to fifty due to strong public response.
Indian Railways achieved record passenger and freight movement in FY2023-24, transporting 720 million passengers and 1,617 million tonnes of cargo, ranking second globally in freight volume. Vaishnaw also revealed a new rule effective from July 1, 2025, requiring Aadhaar authentication for Tatkal train bookings in the first 30 minutes of the window to curb misuse. A pilot project in Bikaner has introduced advance reservation charting 24 hours before departure, significantly improving passenger convenience.
The Minister spotlighted Haryana’s development, citing a rise in annual railway budget allocation from ₹300 crore before 2014 to ₹3,416 crore this year. The state now boasts 100% railway electrification, 823 kilometers of new tracks, and 540 completed road overbridges and underpasses. Additionally, 34 stations are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Haryana’s Sonipat Railway Coach Factory is also undergoing modernization to ramp up coach production.
The event was attended by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Industries Minister Rao Narbir Singh, MLA Mukesh Sharma, and Maruti Suzuki CEO Hisashi Takeuchi. The launch marked a significant step in aligning India’s auto and rail sectors under the Gati Shakti initiative, enhancing multimodal connectivity for a growing economy. If you’d like, I can help visualize this transformation with sector-specific logistics maps or break down the expected cost savings across rail vs. road freight. Just let me know how deep you want to go.
