Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday inaugurated India’s largest Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal for automobiles at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar plant, calling it a key step in boosting logistics efficiency for the sector.The new terminal, connected to Patli railway station via a 10-km dedicated rail link, is part of the 121.7-km Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor being developed by the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC).According to the Railway Ministry, the project involved an investment of Rs 800 crore, with HRIDC contributing Rs 684 crore and the remaining amount funded by Maruti Suzuki. The Manesar terminal has a loading capacity of 4.5 lakh automobiles per year, among the highest in the country.Vaishnaw, addressing the inauguration, said Indian Railways has seen strong momentum in capacity building across both freight and passenger services, PTI reported.“In the last two and a half years, a focused campaign has been launched to increase the number of general coaches. Over 1,200 general coaches were added just in the past year,” he said.He announced that over 100 MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) trains will be upgraded to longer configurations — from 8–12 coaches to 16–20 coaches — to improve capacity for short-distance commuters. A new MEMU factory has been set up in Kazipet, Andhra Pradesh, for this purpose.On the rollout of Namo Bharat trains, he said 50 new trains will be produced to meet rising passenger demand.The minister highlighted that in FY 2023–24, Indian Railways carried 720 crore passengers and 1,617 million tonnes of freight, achieving the second-highest freight volume globally.He also detailed reforms in the Tatkal booking system set to begin July 1, 2025. For the first 30 minutes of the Tatkal window, bookings will be restricted to Aadhaar-authenticated and KYC-verified users, aimed at curbing misuse and improving access for genuine passengers.Vaishnaw mentioned a pilot project in the Bikaner Division, where passenger reservation charts are now being prepared 24 hours in advance instead of 4 hours before departure, as per the current norm.Speaking on the new Amrit Bharat Trains, he said three are already operational with strong public response. “Six more will be launched soon, and 50 additional trains are under production,” he said.He added that the Railway Coach Factory in Sonipat is undergoing modernisation and will be inaugurated soon, playing a key role in expanding India’s coach production capacity.
