India’s largest automobile in-plant railway siding at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar facility starts operation

Manesar/New Delhi – Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Chief Minister of Haryana, Nayab Singh Saini, inaugurated India’s largest automobile in-plant railway siding at Maruti Suzuki India Limited’s (“MSIL”) Manesar facility on June 17.

The Manesar railway siding, registered under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, has been developed as part of the 126 Km Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC) running from Sonipat to Palwal in the state of Haryana. The project was executed by a joint venture company called Haryana Orbital Rail Corporation Ltd. (HORCL).

Under the joint venture, MSIL has committed to investing INR 3,250 million (INR 325 crore) in developing HORC. Additionally, MSIL has invested about INR 1,270 million (127 crore) towards internal yard development. Overall, MSIL’s total investment is approximately INR 4,520 million (₹ 452 crore).

Speaking on the occasion, Hisashi Takeuchi, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, “We are very happy that India’s largest automobile in-plant railway siding is inaugurated today at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar facility. We are deeply grateful to the visionary leadership of the Union Minister for Railways and the Government of India for its focused implementation of seamless multi-modal connectivity, promoting green logistics.”

“Aligned to the PM’s GatiShakti National Master Plan, the company’s second in-plant railway siding facility signifies a landmark achievement in its green logistics journey. We are also highly thankful to the Government of Haryana and the Chief Minister for their timely support and guidance on this project.”

He added, “The project underscores our strong commitment to India’s Net Zero emissions target 2070. It will contribute to avoiding 175,000 tonnes* of CO2e emissions, saving 60 million litres of fuel annually at full capacity, and reducing road congestion. Lowering carbon emissions remains a top priority at Maruti Suzuki, and we aim to achieve this by increasing the share of vehicle dispatches through railways to 35% by FY 2030-31.”

Spread over 46 acres within the MSIL Manesar facility, the railway siding features a fully electrified corridor with four full-length tracks for rakes and one track for engine escape, totaling 8.2 km of track length.

The siding also features a two-story station building, a dedicated pathway for guards and drivers along the tracks, advanced electronic train interlocking, and additional amenities. Models manufactured at MSIL’s Gurugram and Manesar facilities will be dispatched to 17 hubs from this railway siding serving 380 cities across India. Port locations of Mundra and Pipavav, used by the Company for exports, will also be served. The railway siding will have a dispatch capability of 450,000 vehicles at full capacity.

MSIL has dispatched 2.5 million (25 lakh) vehicles cumulatively through railways since FY 2014-15. Its green logistics efforts align with UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 13 on climate action, reinforcing the Company’s vision for a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future.

Background on Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC): A 126 Km HORC connects Sonipat to Palwal via Kharkhoda, Patli, Manesar, Sohna, etc. The project is being executed by a joint venture company called Haryana Orbital Rail Corporation Limited (HORCL). The joint venture is a collaboration between Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HRIDC), Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HSIIDC), Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), All Cargo Logistics, and Maruti Suzuki.

HORCL has appointed HRIDC for the construction of the entire 126 km Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor over the next 5-6 years. The total project cost is estimated at INR 117,091 million (117,09 crore). The equity contribution under the joint venture is as follows: HRIDC 55.4%, HSIIDC 19%, Maruti Suzuki 13%, All Cargo Logistics 7.6%, and GMDA 5%.

In the first phase of HORC, a 5.7km track connecting Patli, a junction on the existing rail line, to Manesar station on HORC has been constructed. An additional 1.2 km track has been constructed connecting Manesar station to MSIL’s Manesar facility boundary as part of the project.