Maruti Suzuki Moves Record 5.85 Lakh Cars by Rail in 2025

Maruti Suzuki Breaks Records with 5.85 Lakh Cars Sent by Rail in 2025

Maruti Suzuki India Limited has recorded its best ever year for rail transport. In 2025, the company moved more than 5.85 lakh vehicles across the country using the Indian Railways. This marks the highest annual rail dispatch figure in the history of the company.

The numbers, shared in an official company statement, show a strong 18 percent increase compared to 2024. The growth reflects a clear shift toward greener and more efficient ways of moving finished vehicles from factories to dealerships.

A Decade of Steady Change

Ten years ago, rail transport played only a small role in Maruti Suzuki’s logistics. In 2016, the company sent just 77,000 cars by train. At that time, rail movement made up a little over 5 percent of total vehicle dispatches.

Since then, the situation has changed dramatically. By the end of 2025, railways were handling around 26 percent of all cars leaving Maruti Suzuki plants. This is a major jump and shows how deeply the company has invested in rail-based logistics.

The yearly figures highlight the steady rise:

• 2.22 lakh vehicles in 2021

• 3.20 lakh vehicles in 2022

• 4.22 lakh vehicles in 2023

• 4.96 lakh vehicles in 2024

• 5.85 lakh vehicles in 2025

Industry observers point out that the consistent increase is the result of better railway connectivity, improved loading facilities, and long-term planning by the company.

Clear Gains for the Environment

Moving cars by train instead of trucks has brought measurable benefits.

According to Maruti Suzuki’s internal estimates, the company avoided nearly 87,904 metric tones of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in 2025 alone. The shift to rail also saved more than 687 lakh liters of fuel, which equals 68.7 million liters.

These reductions are significant for a country where road congestion and air pollution remain major concerns. Rail transport uses less energy per vehicle and reduces the number of heavy trucks on highways. For large manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki, even small changes in logistics can lead to big environmental gains.

A Strategy Built Over Many Years

The company’s focus on rail movement is not new. It has been part of Maruti Suzuki’s logistics planning for more than a decade.

In 2013, Maruti Suzuki became the first automobile manufacturer in India to receive an Automobile Freight Train Operator license. This allowed the company to operate dedicated trains for vehicle transport and manage its own rail operations.

Since the 2014 to 2015 financial year, the company has moved more than 28 lakh vehicles by train. Today, Maruti Suzuki reaches over 600 cities using 22 dispatch hubs connected through a hub and spoke model.

At present, more than 45 special flexi-deck trains are in operation for the company. Each train is designed to carry around 260 cars at a time, making large-scale movement faster and more economical.

Company data also shows that in 2025, about 53 percent of all rail dispatches began directly from railway sidings located inside the Gujarat and Manesar manufacturing plants. This direct loading system has helped cut handling time and improve efficiency.

Important Milestones Achieved in 2025

The year 2025 was not only about higher numbers. It also brought some historic moments.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, spoke about two major achievements during the year.

The first was the opening of India’s largest in-plant railway siding at the Manesar facility. This infrastructure allows vehicles to be loaded onto trains directly from the factory premises, reducing dependence on road transport.

The second milestone was the first ever rail shipment of Maruti Suzuki vehicles to the Kashmir Valley. The trains travelled across the Chenab River bridge, which is known as the world’s highest railway arch bridge. This marked an important expansion of the company’s logistics reach.

Takeuchi described 2025 as a landmark year for the company’s transport operations and highlighted the role of railways in making automobile logistics cleaner and more efficient.

Looking Ahead

The record performance in 2025 suggests that rail transport will continue to play a bigger role in India’s automobile sector. With new freight corridors and improved railway infrastructure, moving vehicles by train is becoming faster and more reliable.

For Maruti Suzuki, the results show that long-term investments in green logistics are paying off. Lower fuel use, reduced emissions, and smoother supply chains are benefits that are likely to grow in the coming years.

As India focuses more on sustainable transportation, the company’s rail-first approach may well become a model for the wider automotive industry.