Maruti Suzuki becomes first passenger vehicle maker to use Pollachi terminal for rail dispatches

Automobile manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India Limited has become the first passenger vehicle manufacturer to dispatch vehicles by rail to the Pollachi Railway Terminal in Tamil Nadu.

A rake carrying 120 vehicles—including models such as the Wagon R, Ertiga, Dzire, and Celerio—was flagged off from the company's Manesar in-plant railway siding on August 18. The consignment reached the terminal earlier this week, according to a company release.

Maruti Suzuki worked alongside Indian Railways to operationalise the Pollachi terminal for rail-based vehicle dispatches, adding a new destination in Southern India alongside Coimbatore. The company stated that the infrastructure will help serve customers in the region more effectively during the upcoming festival period.

The Pollachi Railway Terminal is expected to handle approximately 70 automobile rakes annually. This operational capacity is projected to enable the delivery of more than 11,000 additional vehicles each year through the railway network.

The redevelopment of the Pollachi Railway Terminal was inaugurated in March by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conferencing. The station is one of 20 renovated under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in Tamil Nadu, designed to improve passenger amenities, overall infrastructure, and access for freight trains.

Maruti Suzuki initially adopted rail-based vehicle dispatches in the 2014-15 financial year as part of an effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, lower fuel consumption, and ease road congestion.

Over the years, the company has scaled up its rail logistics. The share of rail in its outbound vehicle dispatches has grown from 5 per cent in FY 2014-15 to 26.5 per cent in FY 2025-26. To date, the company has cumulatively dispatched over 32 lakh vehicles via rail. Looking ahead, Maruti Suzuki has set a target to increase its share of rail-based dispatches to 35 per cent by FY 2030-31 as part of its green logistics strategy.

"Maruti Suzuki's expansion into the Pollachi Railway Terminal highlights the practical impact of infrastructure development on commercial supply chains. By increasing rail-based logistics, manufacturing companies can manage regional demand efficiently—especially during peak festival periods—while simultaneously meeting long-term sustainability goals by lowering carbon emissions and reducing reliance on roadways." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes