Infra push on track: Railways opens largest auto cargo terminal at Manesar, Vaishnaw announces new MEMU and Amrit Bharat rollouts

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday inaugurated India's largest Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal for automobiles at Maruti Suzuki's Manesar plant, calling it a key step in boosting logistics efficiency for the sector.
The new terminal, connected to Patli railway station via a 10-km dedicated rail link, is part of the 121.7-km Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor being developed by the Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC).
According to the Railway Ministry, the project involved an investment of Rs 800 crore, with HRIDC contributing Rs 684 crore and the remaining amount funded by Maruti Suzuki. The Manesar terminal has a loading capacity of 4.5 lakh automobiles per year, among the highest in the country.
Vaishnaw, addressing the inauguration, said Indian Railways has seen strong momentum in capacity building across both freight and passenger services, PTI reported.
'In the last two and a half years, a focused campaign has been launched to increase the number of general coaches. Over 1,200 general coaches were added just in the past year,' he said.
He announced that over 100 MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) trains will be upgraded to longer configurations — from 8–12 coaches to 16–20 coaches — to improve capacity for short-distance commuters.
A new MEMU factory has been set up in Kazipet, Andhra Pradesh, for this purpose.
On the rollout of Namo Bharat trains, he said 50 new trains will be produced to meet rising passenger demand.
The minister highlighted that in FY 2023–24, Indian Railways carried 720 crore passengers and 1,617 million tonnes of freight, achieving the second-highest freight volume globally.
He also detailed reforms in the Tatkal booking system set to begin July 1, 2025.
For the first 30 minutes of the Tatkal window, bookings will be restricted to Aadhaar-authenticated and KYC-verified users, aimed at curbing misuse and improving access for genuine passengers.
Vaishnaw mentioned a pilot project in the Bikaner Division, where passenger reservation charts are now being prepared 24 hours in advance instead of 4 hours before departure, as per the current norm.
Speaking on the new Amrit Bharat Trains, he said three are already operational with strong public response. 'Six more will be launched soon, and 50 additional trains are under production,' he said.
He added that the Railway Coach Factory in Sonipat is undergoing modernisation and will be inaugurated soon, playing a key role in expanding India's coach production capacity.
Stay informed with the latest
business
news, updates on
bank holidays
and
public holidays
.
AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Business Standard

29 minutes ago

• Business Standard

Sebi fines IAGF, trustee and managers ₹29 lakh for AIF rule breaches

Capital markets regulator Sebi has imposed penalties totalling Rs 29 lakh on six entities, including India Asset Growth Fund, its manager Essel Finance Advisors and Managers, and trustee Vistra ITCL (India) for multiple violations of AIF rules. The regulator levied a fine of Rs 11 lakh on IAGF, Rs 10 lakh on Arpan Sarkar and Jaykishan Kikani (jointly and severally), Rs 6 lakh on Vistra ITCL (India), and Rs 2 lakh on Essel Finance Advisors and Managers (EFAM), its Chief Executive Officer Vishnu Prakash Rathore (jointly and severally). The regulator, in a 39-page order, found the entities guilty of serious lapses in regulatory compliance during the inspection period from April 2021 to March 2022, Sebi said in the order on Friday. The markets watchdog observed that India Asset Growth Fund (IAGF) failed to disclose disciplinary actions and litigation history of its sponsor, manager, trustee, and key officials in its placement memorandum (PPM), as mandated under the norms. Later, the fund submitted a revised PPM containing such disclosures during a change of control application, which was neither approved nor circulated to investors, resulting in a breach of the disclosure framework of the code of conduct of the alternative investment fund (AIF) regulations. Sebi also pulled up the fund for providing valuations based on underlying assets instead of the securities it held, as well as for delayed registration with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND), non-disclosure of the investor charter and distribution waterfall, and a 10-day delay in filing its PPM audit report. The regulator found that the fund took over a month to respond to an investor grievance, breaching the 30-day deadline. It noted that although the fund eventually completed the winding-up process and distributed proceeds to all investors by January 2024, the regulatory breaches were material. The regulator concluded that the violations had the potential to mislead investors, and disrupt regulatory oversight of AIFs. Sebi highlighted that EFAM being manager of IAGF is responsible for such non-compliances. It noted that Rathore, Sarkar and Kikani were the key managerial personnel who failed to abide by the code of conduct as per the rules. Therefore, the allegations against them stand established.

News18

39 minutes ago

• News18

Delhi-Meerut RRTS Completes 82-Km Trial: Soon, Sarai Kale Khan To Modipuram In Less Than 1 Hour

Last Updated: During the trial, Namo Bharat trains ran seamlessly at the maximum operational speed of 160 kmph across the entire 82-km stretch, NCRTC said The entire 82-km section of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) will soon be connected with trains as a successful trial on the route has been completed, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation announced on Sunday. Currently, trains are operational on a 55-km section, covering 11 stations between New Ashok Nagar in Delhi and Meerut South in Meerut. The full-length timetable trial run of Namo Bharat trains was held between Sarai Kale Khan and Modipuram. The journey took less than 60 minutes. This marks a significant operational milestone in the implementation of India's first Namo Bharat corridor, connecting Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. During the trial, Namo Bharat trains ran seamlessly at the maximum operational speed of 160 kmph across the entire 82-km stretch, the NCRTC said. 'The trains made stops at every station from Sarai Kale Khan to Modipuram and covered the entire distance in less than one hour, adhering to the planned schedule targeted by NCRTC," the official statement read. The advanced ETCS Level 3 Hybrid signalling system over LTE backbone deployed on the corridor, a global first, performed flawlessly, along with the Platform Screen Doors (PSDs) installed at every station. This successful run underscores system readiness and represents a firm step forward towards full-scale operations, the NCRTC added. 'Trial runs, along with final finishing works, are progressing rapidly on the remaining sections i.e., 4.5 km between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi, and about 23 km between Meerut South and Modipuram in Meerut. This milestone signifies a crucial advancement toward the full commissioning of the entire corridor," the statement added. To ease travel within Meerut City, the trial runs of the Meerut Metro are also underway on the stretch between Meerut South and Modipuram Depot. 'This is the first time in the country that local metro services will be provided on the same infrastructure as the Namo Bharat trains," the NCRTC added. The 23-km Meerut Metro stretch, comprising 13 stations, includes 18 km of elevated and 5 km of underground sections. Meerut Metro trains were also running simultaneously with Namo Bharat trains during the trials and systems performed perfectly, they said. The first 17-km stretch of the RRTS was made operational in October 2023. Over time, new stations were added to the route. First Published: June 22, 2025, 19:38 IST

India.com

an hour ago

• India.com

Will Tax Refunds Come Earlier This Time? Here's What FM Sitharaman Said

New Delhi: As the ITR filing season picks up pace, salaried individuals are actively submitting their Income Tax Returns and many have already applied for refunds. To ensure quicker processing, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has directed senior CBIC officials to speed up ITR-related scrutiny. She also stressed the need to simplify the GST registration process for better taxpayer convenience. Finance Minister Reviews GST and Customs Department's Work Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently reviewed the functioning of the Central GST and Customs Department. During the meeting, she directed officials to resolve business-related complaints quickly and also focus on curbing tax evasion and wrong tax credit claims. She urged senior CBIC officials, including Chief Commissioners and Directors General to improve their efficiency and fill vacant positions without delay. Rs 2.23 Lakh Crore in GST Evasion Detected Officials informed the Finance Minister that by the financial year 2024–25, GST evasion worth Rs 2.23 lakh crore had been detected. Out of this, Rs 28,909 crore has been voluntarily paid by taxpayers. The Finance Minister was in discussion with senior officials of the government's indirect tax administration. The goal of the meeting was to ensure that principles like ease of doing business and ease of tax compliance remain central to the tax system. At the same time ensuring strict compliance with tax laws was also emphasised. For the central government, reforms, reducing paperwork, and deregulation remain top priorities. The government aims to unlock the country's full economic potential. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech on February 1 had also focused on key reforms needed across various sectors.