Maruti Suzuki sets up India's first automobile in-plant railway siding

The railway siding will help Maruti dispatch new vehicles by train, eliminating 50,000 truck trips every year.

India’s first automobile in-plant railway siding has been set up at Maruti Suzuki’s Hansalpur plant in Gujarat. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month.

The in-plant railway siding was built at Rs 105 crore. It is linked to the Katosan-Becharaji-Ranauj route, which has been converted to Broad Gauge for Rs 976 crore.

According to Maruti Suzuki, the new railway siding will help the company dispatch new vehicles by train, eliminating 50,000 truck trips every year. The company estimates that this would result in fuel savings of 35 million litres and will reduce carbon emissions by 1,650 metric tonnes.

Cars manufactured at the Hansalpur plant will be dispatched to 15 cities via the Indian railway network. Till now, Maruti has dispatched about 18 lakh units by railways. 4.09 lakh cars have already been transported by railway in 2024 alone.

Given the benefits of transporting finished vehicles by railway, Maruti Suzuki is now in the process of setting up a similar railway siding at its factory in Haryana.

Source: Hindu Businessline