Four Rail Freight Terminals Commissioned in Gujarat, India; Construction of Linch Terminal Also Launched

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 15, Indian Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw commissioned four Gati Shakti multimodal freight terminals in Gujarat in a single event and laid the foundation stone for the fifth, the Linch freight terminal. Among them, the Shivlakha terminal in the Kachchh region was formally commissioned, while three terminals—Bhimasar, Devaliya in the Morbi region, and Chandisar in the Banaskantha region—entered operation; the Linch terminal in the Mahesana region has entered the construction phase.

The Shivlakha terminal is being developed by KMT Engineering, covering an area of approximately 150 acres, with a planned investment of about 2 billion rupees and railway supporting investment of about 129.7 million rupees. In addition to container freight, the terminal also plans railway wagon manufacturing facilities. On the day of commissioning, Indian Railways dispatched a salt freight train from Shivlakha to Mithapur and put into service for the first time specially developed lightweight stainless steel salt transport containers. This type of container features top loading and side dumping, and is intended to replace some traditional wagon-based salt transport operations.

The Bhimasar Gati Shakti freight terminal is being developed by Arya Freight Terminal, located on the Gandhidham–Samakhiali railway section, covering an area of approximately 52 acres, with a total investment of about 750 million rupees, of which railway works investment is about 242.1 million rupees. The terminal is designed for container and general cargo handling, with a planned monthly handling capacity of approximately 60 outbound trains and 60 inbound trains.

The Devaliya terminal is being developed by Western Carriers (India), located in the Morbi region of Gujarat, covering an area of approximately 41 acres, with an investment of about 650 million rupees, of which the railway works portion is about 162.8 million rupees. The project has completed construction and entered the operational phase, with the terminal equipped with handling facilities for industrial cargo and rail intermodal transport. Western Carriers has meanwhile organized bulk ceramic tile rail transport operations at the terminal.

The Chandisar terminal is being developed by Emirates Terminals, covering an area of approximately 23 acres, with a total investment of about 750 million rupees, of which the railway portion is about 140 million rupees, with a planned monthly handling capacity of approximately 10 outbound trains and 10 inbound trains. Following this commissioning, the terminal, together with Bhimasar, Devaliya, and Shivlakha, forms new rail freight nodes in Gujarat.

Indian Railways also confirmed that as of August 31, 2026, a total of 149 Gati Shakti freight terminals had been commissioned nationwide; after the commissioning of projects including Shivlakha in September, the railway authorities announced that the number of commissioned terminals nationwide had reached 150. Indian Railways has implemented the Gati Shakti multimodal freight terminal policy since 2021 and allows private capital to participate in the development of rail freight terminals.

The five projects are at different stages: Shivlakha, Bhimasar, Devaliya, and Chandisar have entered operation, while Linch has only completed the foundation stone laying and entered the construction preparation phase, with no commissioning date announced yet. The existing terminals mainly serve container, general industrial cargo, and salt product transport, and are connected to Gujarat's existing rail freight network and port hinterland transport system.