116 Maruti cars transported to Kashmir in first ever auto freight train

Northern Railway dispatched its first automobile rake to Kashmir, carrying 116 Maruti Suzuki vehicles from Manesar in Haryana to Anantnag district. The service is being seen as a significant step in linking the Kashmir valley more closely with India’s freight rail network.

The train departed from Maruti Suzuki’s in-plant Gati Shakti Terminal and is said to cover 850 km in about 45 hours. The rake included popular models such as the Brezza, Dzire, WagonR and S-Presso.

On its route, the train will pass over the Chenab rail bridge, which is the highest railway arch bridge in the world. Railways officials said the new service would help decongest roads into the valley and provide a more reliable alternative for the movement of goods.

Earlier freight milestones

This is the first automobile rake to reach Anantnag. On August 9, a freight train carrying cement from Rupnagar in Punjab became the first goods service to reach the newly opened Anantnag goods shed. Since then, multiple trains carrying army winter stocks, fruit consignments and other goods have arrived in the valley.

The improved access is part of the larger Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which aims to integrate Jammu and Kashmir with the national rail network. Officials say this has already improved logistics efficiency and reduced pressure on road transport, which is often affected by weather and terrain.

Maruti’s rail push

For Maruti Suzuki, the dispatch is in line with its growing reliance on rail for vehicle logistics. The automaker has also invested in India's largest in-plant railway siding at Manesar, measuring 46 acres. Through the electrified siding, vehicles can be loaded from the assembly line directly onto trains, eliminating handling and damage during transport.

In 2024-25, Maruti shipped over 5.18 lakh vehicles by rail, almost a quarter of its overall dispatches during the year. The company says shifting to rail reduces dependence on road carriers, eliminates around 65,000 truck trips annually and cuts emissions by avoiding the use of about 60 million litres of diesel.

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