Pro Plus

Road Trains: Will They Work in India?

Can the move to introduce road trains – a set of 2-4 trailers hauled by a heavy duty prime mover – to Indian expressways be successful?

Shahkar AbidiBy Shahkar Abidi calendar 18 Mar 2025 Views icon8554 Views Share - Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to LinkedIn Share to Whatsapp
Road Trains: Will They Work in India?

Don't be surprised if you see a truck pulling multiple trailers chugging along the busy super highways such as those of Mumbai-Bengaluru, Nagpur-Gurugram, or Delhi-Mumbai. For decades, the image of the "road train" – a heavy-duty prime mover, or tractor unit, hauling a sinuous chain of trailers – conjured up visions of the vast, sparsely populated terrains of Australia or the American West.

But this icon of long-haul efficiency may soon make an unlikely debut on the bustling, and often congested, highways of India. These articulated leviathans, popularly referred to as 'road trains', are not just a spectacle of ...

This is an Autocar Pro Plus article. Subscribe to continue reading.

STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE WITH THE LATEST NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHTS INTO INDIA'S EXPANDING AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

SUBSCRIBE TO AUTOCAR PRO PLUS

1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION

$39.00

  • Unlimited Access to Pro Plus articles
  • Features and Insights
  • Opinions and Analysis
  • Pro Plus Newsletter
  • Multi-Device Accessibility
Tags: Road Trains

RELATED ARTICLES

Pro Plus
40% of India’s $8.3B Auto Capex is Earmarked for Automation

auther Shahkar Abidi calendar09 Jun 2026

In the race of global automotive manufacturing, automation is no longer a choice, it is the only road left.

Pro Plus
Lax Enforcement Keeps India's Rs 28,000 Crore Shadow Truck Bodybuilding Industry Alive and Lethal

auther Shahkar Abidi calendar05 Jun 2026

India’s unorganized truck building industry is a sector that poses a real threat to road safety.

Pro Plus
Tata Motors' X Alpha Architecture Aims to Reinvent the Small Car

auther Autocar Professional Bureau calendar30 May 2026

The next-generation Tiago and Tiago EV blend the low-cost strengths of Tata Motors' older X0 architecture with the moder...