New Delhi: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the country’s largest automobile Gati Shakti Multi‑Modal Cargo Terminal at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant in Haryana on June 17, 2025. The facility, capable of handling 4.5 lakh vehicles per year, is linked to Patli railway station via a 10‑kilometre dedicated rail line, part of the 121.7‑kilometre Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor project developed by HRIDC. The ₹800‑crore link was funded with ₹684 crore from HRIDC and the balance by Maruti Suzuki.
Speaking at the inauguration, Vaishnaw highlighted the dramatic growth in rail infrastructure investment since 2014, noting that “before 2014, the Railways' annual budget hovered around ₹24,000–25,000 crore, now, it has been increased to ₹2.5 lakh crore.” He also detailed recent enhancements to passenger services, including the addition of over 1,200 general coaches in a year and plans to augment more than 100 MEMU trains from eight to up to 20 coaches.
Vaishnaw confirmed a decision to produce 50 more Namo Bharat trains following strong public demand and outlined upcoming reforms in ticketing and operations: “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,” and spoke positively of a pilot that moves chart preparation from four hours to 24 hours before departure in the Bikaner Division.
On freight performance, he said that in 2023–24 Indian Railways moved 720 crore passengers and 1,617 million tonnes of freight, “helping Indian Railways achieve the second‑highest freight volume globally.” Turning to Haryana, he noted the state’s railway budget has climbed from ₹300 crore to a record ₹3,416 crore, with 823 kilometres of new lines laid and 100 percent network electrified, while ongoing projects worth ₹11,800 crore and station redevelopments under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme continue to reshape regional infrastructure.
BI Bureau
