Maruti Suzuki uses railways to move three million vehicles: Reasons explained

Maruti Suzuki India has crossed a major milestone by dispatching over three million vehicles through railways in India. While the achievement may not be directly related to sales or new launches, it highlights how the company is increasingly relying on rail transport for moving cars across the country. Over the years, Maruti Suzuki has steadily expanded its railway logistics network. Back in FY2014-15, only 5 per cent of the company’s outbound vehicle dispatches happened through railways. That figure has now grown to 26.5 per cent in FY2025-26. Interestingly, the jump from 2 million to 3 million cumulative rail dispatches was achieved in just 21 months, making it the fastest million-milestone for the brand.

The company says it has invested over Rs 1,372 crore towards developing green logistics infrastructure. This includes dedicated railway sidings at its Hansalpur and Manesar manufacturing plants, specialised automobile freight rakes and rail yards at key logistics hubs. Speaking on the occasion, Hisashi Takeuchi said Maruti Suzuki plans to increase the share of rail-based dispatches to 35 per cent by FY2030-31. The company also plans to add another in-plant railway siding at its upcoming Kharkhoda facility.Maruti Suzuki is currently the only passenger vehicle manufacturer in India to have railway sidings inside two of its production facilities – Hansalpur in Gujarat and Manesar in Haryana. Both were developed under the Government’s PM GatiShakti National Master Plan. The Hansalpur railway siding started operations in March 2023 and was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024. Earlier this year, the facility also became the world’s first Modal Shift Transportation Project to be registered under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard program.