(PIB)
Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw today inaugurated the country’s largest automobile Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal at Maruti Suzuki India Limited, Manesar, Haryana.
The Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant is a key infrastructure development that significantly enhances the logistics efficiency of automobile transportation. The Manesar facility is connected to Patli railway station through a 10 km dedicated rail link, which forms part of the 121.7 km Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor being developed by the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC). The construction of this 10 km link involved an investment of ₹800 crore, with HRIDC contributing ₹684 crore and the remaining amount funded by Maruti Suzuki. The loading capacity of this Gati Shakti Cargo terminal is one of the highest in India i.e 4.5 lakh automobiles per annum.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister highlighted the significant transformation Indian Railways has undergone over the past decade. “Before 2014, the Railways’ annual budget hovered around ₹24,000–25,000 crore, Now, it has been increased to ₹2.5 Lakh Crore. Basic passenger amenities like toilets were absent in many stations and coaches. In the last two and a half years, a focused campaign has been launched to increase the number of General Coaches. More than 1,200 General Coaches were added in just the past year,” he said.
The Minister added that a major decision was taken recently to upgrade passenger train services. Over 100 MEMU trains will now be augmented — increasing their composition from 8 to 12 coaches to 16 to 20 coaches — greatly benefiting short-distance commuters. A new factory has been set up at Kazipet, Andhra Pradesh, for the manufacturing of over 100 MEMU trains.
Referring to the successful rollout of Namo Bharat trains, he said, “Encouraged by the strong public response to the two operational Namo Bharat trains, we have decided to produce 50 new Namo Bharat trains to cater to growing passenger demand.”
On the passenger and freight performance front, Shri Vaishnaw said, “In the financial year 2023–24, Indian Railways transported approximately 720 crore passengers and 1,617 million tonnes of freight. This performance helped Indian Railways achieve the second-highest freight volume globally, marking 2023–24 as a historic year.”
Talking about passenger convenience, the Minister announced a significant reform in Tatkal ticket booking, to be implemented from 1st July 2025. “As per the new rule, only Aadhaar-authenticated and KYC-verified users will be allowed to book Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking window. This measure will help ensure tickets are available to genuine passengers,” he said.
He also spoke about an ongoing pilot project in the Bikaner Division, where passenger reservation charts are now being prepared 24 hours in advance, replacing the earlier norm of 4 hours before train departure. The initiative has received highly positive feedback from citizens and public representatives and is expected to significantly improve the travel experience.
Discussing the rollout of the Amrit Bharat Trains, the Minister stated, “Three Amrit Bharat trains are currently operational and have received overwhelming public response. In the coming days, six more Amrit Bharat trains will be launched. and, production of 50 more trains is underway, and more batches will follow.”
Turning to developments in Haryana, Shri Vaishnaw said that prior to 2014, the annual railway budget allocation for the state was merely ₹300 crore. “This year, Haryana has received a record allocation of ₹3,416 crore. In the last 11 years, 823 kilometers of new rail lines have been laid in the state, and 100% of Haryana’s railway network is now electrified,” he said.
Highlighting ongoing infrastructure investment, the Minister added, “Currently, projects worth ₹11,800 crore are underway in Haryana. Redevelopment of 34 railway stations is in progress under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. In addition, 540 road overbridges and underpasses have been constructed across the state’s railway network.”
Shri Vaishnaw also mentioned that the Railway Coach Factory, Sonipat is undergoing modernization. “The upgraded facility will soon be ready for inauguration and will play a key role in enhancing our coach production capacity,” he said.
The event witnessed the esteemed presence of Shri Nayab Singh Saini, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Haryana; Shri Rao Narbir Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Industries, Government of Haryana; Shri Mukesh Sharma, Hon’ble MLA; and Mr. Hisashi Takeuchi, CEO & Managing Director, Maruti Suzuki India Limited
