Maharashtra cabinet has approved a 105-kilometre dedicated freight corridor that will seamlessly connect the Mumbai–Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway with the upcoming Vadhavan Port in Palghar district. This strategic greenfield link is expected to enhance cargo movement, reduce turnaround time, and position Maharashtra as a logistics and maritime hub on the western coast.
The proposed freight corridor will serve as a crucial spine for transporting goods from the state’s hinterland—including Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nashik and beyond—to the Vadhavan deep-sea port, which is being developed as one of India’s largest maritime terminals. Officials said the corridor will facilitate high-speed, congestion-free freight movement, bypassing city traffic and decongesting existing roadways. The 105-km greenfield route will originate near Tarapur and connect directly to the Samruddhi Mahamarg, also known as the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, near Shahapur. Designed as a controlled-access corridor with industrial and logistics hubs along its path, the new route is expected to drive economic growth across northern Konkan and Marathwada.
According to senior government officials, the corridor will be developed in a time-bound manner, with land acquisition and environmental clearances to be taken up on priority. The infrastructure will support both rail and road-based freight movement in the long term, with provisions for logistics parks and warehousing clusters that align with Maharashtra’s vision for sustainable and carbon-efficient logistics. The Samruddhi Expressway, which already connects Nagpur to Mumbai via 701 kilometres of high-speed road, will find added relevance with this new linkage to the Arabian Sea through Vadhavan port. The port, once operational, is expected to handle over 300 million tonnes of cargo annually and serve as a key node under the Sagarmala initiative, bolstering India’s maritime economy.
Officials emphasised that this corridor will also create substantial employment opportunities in transport, warehousing, and allied sectors, while promoting seamless integration between inland production centres and international trade routes. It is also expected to attract significant private investment in industrial clusters and logistics infrastructure. The corridor has received in-principle backing from multiple state departments, and further proposals will be submitted for financial structuring under public-private partnership (PPP) and viability gap funding models. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is likely to be appointed as the nodal agency for the project.
With the central government’s focus on improving port-led connectivity under initiatives like PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy, this corridor is expected to play a catalytic role in reducing logistics costs, increasing export competitiveness, and positioning Maharashtra as a global gateway for trade. The state cabinet’s decision reflects a shift towards infrastructure planning that prioritises speed, integration, and sustainability—essential ingredients for building a resilient and future-ready Maharashtra.
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