Five Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals in Gujarat were inaugurated, dedicated or taken up for development as Indian Railways expands freight capacity and connectivity between the state’s industrial centres, ports and national markets.
Gujarat is expanding its rail freight infrastructure with five Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals inaugurated, dedicated or taken up for development across Kachchh, Morbi, Banaskantha and Mahesana.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the GCT at Shivlakha in Kachchh, while terminals at Bhimasar in Kachchh, Devaliya in Morbi and Chandisar in Banaskantha were dedicated to the nation. The foundation stone was also laid for a GCT at Linch in Mahesana.
With these additions, Vaishnaw said 150 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals have now been commissioned across India. The terminals are intended to add freight-handling capacity, ease congestion and bottlenecks at ports, and improve connections between production centres, ports and wider markets.
At Shivlakha, a salt-loaded freight train was also flagged off for Mithapur. A new lightweight stainless-steel container has been developed specifically for transporting salt. It can be loaded from the top and unloaded from the side, addressing handling challenges associated with conventional railway wagons and salt absorbing moisture during transportation.
The freight-terminal expansion comes alongside wider railway infrastructure development in Kachchh. According to the minister, projects worth around ₹5,600 crore are underway in the region, including capacity augmentation and doubling works across sections connecting Samakhiali, Bhachau, Gandhidham, Adipur and Bhuj.
The Samakhiali-Bhachau and Gandhidham-Adipur sections have been expanded to four lines, while doubling work is underway on the Adipur-Bhuj section. The Bhuj-Naliya section has also recently been converted from metre gauge to broad gauge.
Further connectivity is planned through the sanctioned Naliya-Jakhau Port broad-gauge line, while railway development is progressing towards Vayor, Luna, Hajipur and Desalpar.
The expanded network is expected to support freight-intensive industries in Kachchh and the wider Kandla-Gandhidham industrial region, while improving connectivity for other sectors, including defence.
Vaishnaw also said the recently commissioned infrastructure would support faster freight movement through Dedicated Freight Corridors, with further work underway to expand east-west freight connectivity.
Separately, the Vapi-Surat section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project is targeted for completion by December 2026, according to the minister, with testing and associated works expected to follow.
The developments form part of a wider expansion of rail infrastructure aimed at increasing freight capacity and strengthening connections between Gujarat’s production centres, ports and markets.
