New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki India announced the start of transporting their cars by the Indian Railways to Kashmir, making them the first carmakers to do so. The first train came with 100 Maruti cars that included Brezza, Dzire, WagonR and S-Presso from Manesar’s in-plant railway siding in Haryana to the recently opened Anantnag railway terminal in Jammu and Kashmir, at a distance of 850 km.
Though dispatching vehicles through railway networking across the country is common but it is challenging in Kashmir, and important to connect it well. The train passed the highest railway arch bridge in the world, which is over the Chenab river and was inaugurated at the start of this year coming as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
Why is the Railway connectivity important in India for carmakers?
Highlighting the importance of rail transport, Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronic and Information Technology said, “In recent times, apples from the valley have been transported using the Jammu & Kashmir rail link. Now, Maruti Suzuki cars will be transported to the Kashmir Valley by rail. Jammu – Srinagar railway line is a game changer for the people of Jammu & Kashmir.”
Mr Hisashi Takeuchi, MD and CEO of Maruti Suzuki, spoke about the feat, “Railway dispatches are central to our logistics strategy. We are grateful to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, under whose leadership, transformative infrastructure projects have come up across the country. The world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River is one such landmark, enabling seamless and efficient connectivity to the Kashmir valley and allowing Maruti Suzuki to better serve customers in the region.”
He explained that the coming alignment with PM GatiShakti National Master Maruti Suzuki operates two plants with railway sidings, in Manesar and Gujarat manufacturing plants. These enable the cars to reach vast parts of country directly from the factory. Back in 2013, the carmaker became the first brand to acquire the Automobile Freight Train Operator licence.