Maruti Suzuki Expands Rail-Based Vehicle Dispatches, Manesar Siding Reaches 1 Lakh Units

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has announced a major milestone for its Manesar in-plant railway siding, which has crossed 1 lakh vehicle dispatches within nine months of operations. The siding, which began functioning in June 2025, has also helped avoid an estimated 16,800 metric tonnes of CO2e, according to the company.

The Manesar railway siding is now India’s largest automobile in-plant railway facility and the second PM GatiShakti in-plant terminal for Maruti Suzuki, after the one in Gujarat. Models such as the Alto, WagonR, Brezza, Dzire, Ertiga, Celerio, XL6, Eeco and Super Carry, produced at the company’s Gurugram and Manesar plants, have been transported through the facility. Since operations began, more than 500 rakes have been used to move finished vehicles from the siding.

Maruti Suzuki said the siding is currently serving 380 cities through 17 hubs under a dedicated hub-and-spoke model. At full capacity, the facility is expected to dispatch up to 4.5 lakh units annually.

Rail share continues to rise

Speaking on this milestone, Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, MSIL, said, “In June 2025, Hon’ble Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Hon’ble Chief Minister of Haryana, Nayab Singh Saini inaugurated India’s largest automobile in-plant railway siding at our Manesar plant.”

Takeuchi added that the company remains focused on reducing the carbon footprint of vehicle dispatches while also easing road congestion. He noted that Maruti Suzuki dispatched more than 5.85 lakh vehicles through railways in calendar year 2025, setting a record for the company.

Takeuchi also highlighted the sharp rise in rail usage over the past decade. According to the company, rail’s share in outbound logistics increased from 5 percent in 2016 to 26 percent in 2025. Maruti Suzuki now plans to raise that share further, targeting 35 percent by FY 2030-31.

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Built for scale and sustainability

Maruti Suzuki was the first automobile company to receive an AFTO licence in 2013. Since FY 2014-15, it has transported more than 29.50 lakh vehicles by rail. The company said these efforts are aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 on climate action.

The Manesar siding, developed under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, is part of the 126-km Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor. Spread across 46 acres inside the Manesar facility, it features a fully electrified corridor, four full-length rake tracks, one engine escape track, a two-floor station building and advanced electronic train interlocking. Maruti Suzuki’s total investment in the project stands at about ₹452 crore.