Maruti Suzuki to move 5.85 lakh cars by train in 2025: Rail records explained

Maruti Suzuki India today announced that it has shipped over 5.85 lakh vehicles by rail in calendar year 2025, an increase of 18% compared to 2024. Greater use of rail transport helped the carmaker avoid an estimated 87,904 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions and save over 687 lakh liters of fuel during the year. The company’s reliance on rail for outbound logistics has increased rapidly over the past decade. The share of rail in total vehicle dispatch has increased more than five times, from 5.1% in 2016 to about 26% in 2025. Overall, rail-based dispatch volumes have increased by more than 7.5 times, from around 77,000 units in 2016 to over 5.85 lakh units in 2025.Maruti Suzuki India Limited has been an early adopter of rail-based vehicle transportation and in 2013 became the first automobile manufacturer in India to obtain an Automobile-Freight-Train-Operator license. Since FY 2014-15, the company has transported over 28 lakh vehicles by rail from 22 dispatch points, serving over 600 cities across the country through a hub-and-spoke model.

Currently, Maruti Suzuki operates more than 45 flexi-deck rakes, each of which is capable of carrying around 260 vehicles per trip. In CY2025, rail dispatches from the company’s in-plant railway sidings at its Gujarat and Manesar facilities accounted for 53% of its total rail movement. The continued shift towards rail logistics has helped the automaker reduce carbon emissions, reduce reliance on road transport, reduce congestion and cut fuel consumption, cementing railways as a key pillar of its long-term sustainability strategy.

Maruti Suzuki also operates India’s first in-plant railway siding at its manufacturing facility in Gujarat. The in-plant railway siding at Maruti Suzuki’s Gujarat facility enables movement of three lakh vehicles every year at 15 locations across the country. According to the company, the fully electrified siding is expected to reduce annual carbon emissions by approximately 1,650 metric tons. The transition to rail transport will also significantly reduce road use, leading to an estimated reduction of 50,000 truck trips annually, helping to save approximately 35 million liters of fossil fuel each year.Speaking on this achievement, Mr. Hisashi Takeuchi, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “The year 2025 marks our highest ever rail dispatch with over 5.85 lakh units. During the year, we strengthened our green logistics efforts through two historic events – the inauguration of India’s largest automobile in-plant railway siding at our Manesar facility, and second we shipped vehicles by rail to the Kashmir Valley through the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River, a first by any automobile manufacturer. Our medium-term target is to increase rail-based vehicle dispatch to 35% by FY 2030-31, which will contribute to India’s net-zero ambition by 2070.“Maruti Suzuki India Limited has adopted a comprehensive ‘Circular Mobility’ approach to sustainability, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint across the entire vehicle lifecycle – from design and production to logistics and end-of-life vehicle (ELV) management,” he said.