It is the largest automobile in-plant railway siding in India, with a dispatch capacity of up to 450,000 vehicles annually when operating at full scale.
Project overview and investment structure
The Manesar railway siding is part of the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC), a 126 km railway line connecting Sonipat to Palwal in the state of Haryana. The corridor is being developed by Haryana Orbital Rail Corporation (HORCL), a joint venture involving 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.
Maruti Suzuki’s total investment in the project amounts to INR 4,520 million (approximately EUR 50.4 million). This includes INR 3,250 million (approximately EUR 36.2 million) invested in the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor and INR 1,270 million (approximately EUR 14.2 million) allocated for the development of the internal railway yard at the Manesar site.
Infrastructure specifications
The railway siding spans 46 acres within the Manesar plant and is fully electrified. It consists of four full-length rake tracks, one engine escape track, and a total track length of 8.2 km. The facility also includes a two-storey station building, separate pathways for operational staff, and electronic train interlocking systems.
The siding is connected by a newly constructed 1.2 km track from the Manesar station on the HORC line directly to the Maruti Suzuki plant boundary. This connection is part of the first phase of HORC, which also includes a 5.7 km track linking Patli junction to Manesar station.
Dispatch network and capacity
The Manesar siding will be used to dispatch vehicles manufactured at both the Gurugram and Manesar facilities. The distribution network covers 17 hubs and 380 cities across India. Export operations to ports at Mundra and Pipavav are also included in the transport plan.
At full capacity, the railway siding is expected to contribute to reducing long-distance road transport. According to the company, the rail-based dispatch system is projected to avoid approximately 175,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions and save around 60 million litres of fuel annually.
Since the 2014–2015 financial year, Maruti Suzuki has transported a cumulative total of 2.5 million vehicles via rail.
Background of Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor
The Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor project is estimated at INR 117,091 million (approximately EUR 1.31 billion). The equity shares in the joint venture are distributed as follows: HRIDC (55.4%), HSIIDC (19%), Maruti Suzuki (13%), All Cargo Logistics (7.6%), and GMDA (5%). The construction of the corridor is assigned to HRIDC and is expected to continue over the next five to six years.
