Maruti Suzuki’s Hansalpur unit in Gujarat has built India’s first in-plant railway siding for transporting finished car dispatches by train. This move will help the company eliminate 50,000 truck-trips annually.

Maruti has built an in-plant railway siding at a cost of ₹105 crore. This siding is connected to the Katosan-Becharaji-Ranauj route, which has been converted to Broad Gauge at a cost of ₹976 crore by Bahucharaji Rail Corporation Ltd. This corporation is a joint venture between MSIL, G-Ride, and GIDC. During his visit to Gujarat on Tuesday, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the siding as one of the projects. According to Rahul Bharti, Executive Officer of Corporate Affairs at MSIL, logistics can be a good way of reducing carbon. By eliminating 50,000 truck trips per annum, the company can save 35 million liters of fossil fuel and reduce carbon emissions by 1650 metric tonnes.

Cars manufactured at the Hansalpur facility in Gujarat will be transported to 15 different cities across India via the railway network. Additionally, a portion of these cars will be sent to Mundra and Pipavav ports for export. Maruti exports 42 percent of all cars produced in India, making them the leader in car dispatch. They have successfully dispatched over 18 lakh cars via railways, with 4.09 lakh cars transported by February of this year.

Maruti Suzuki is currently constructing a railway siding at its manufacturing plant in Haryana similar to the one at its Gujarat plant. This development will result in a 20% reduction in the time taken to dispatch goods through trains. Additionally, it is a marginally cheaper option to transport by rail than by roadways.