NEW DELHI: Is road transport fast losing share to railways in the transportation of newly manufactured cars? The answer is yes. In the past 11 years, railways have registered an 18-fold increase in transportation of cars – from barely 1.5 per cent of cars manufactured in 2013-14 to over 24 per cent in 2024-25.In the last financial year, railway officials said, around 12.5 lakh out of the country’s total production of 50.6 lakh cars were transported by trains. “Just in the last four years, the share of cars transported by trains has gone up from 14.7 per cent to nearly 24.5 per cent. We are hopeful of the trend continuing as automobile manufacturers find rail a more convenient, cost-effective and greener mode,” said a senior railway official.Industry sources said the number of cars transported by truck trailers beyond a distance of 600 km has reduced by almost half because of the railways’ drive to grab more share of this freight. “This has hit the road transportation industry, which creates more employment, badly. Railways are increasing the availability of rakes and are also offering incentives to attract more business,” said a senior executive of a logistics firm that is into vehicle transportation.Going by absolute numbers for the transportation of cars by trains globally, India is a distant second after the United States, where around 75 lakh cars are moved by railways. Germany transports around 6 lakh cars, ranking third.Sources in the railway ministry said the spike in car transportation by trains has been possible due to sustained efforts. While the number of rakes available for the segment was only 10 in 2013-14, it was increased to 29 by 2021 and is now at 170. In 2024-25, a total of 7,578 trips were made for transporting cars, they said.Two years back, railways redesigned wagons to allow transporting SUVs on both decks as opposed to only one deck. So, while one rake with 27 wagons could accommodate only 135 SUVs earlier, the capacity has now doubled to 270 SUVs.
