Indian Railways is set to launch a door-to-door parcel service in eight cities, allowing customers to book doorstep pickup and delivery through the Rail Parcel App after a pilot run. The service will initially cover Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune.
The app, named “Ghar se Ghar Tak”, will connect customers with selected logistics providers that will manage the first-mile pickup and last-mile delivery of consignments. Indian Railways will transport the parcels between railway stations, while logistics partners may also provide packaging and other value-added services.
The service is designed to remove the need for customers to carry parcels to railway premises or complete conventional paperwork at stations. Customers will be able to book consignments and make payments online through the app, which will function as a digital marketplace for railway parcel transportation and logistics services.
According to a senior railway official cited by Economic Times, the booking window will open 15 days before the scheduled departure of the train carrying the parcel. Customers will be able to book consignments until one day before departure, while logistics partners can hand over parcels to railway staff up to one hour before the train leaves.
The operating model separates railway transportation from collection and delivery at the city level. Logistics providers will be responsible for collecting parcels from customers and delivering them to the final destination. Their policies will govern refunds for first-mile pickup and last-mile delivery services, with the applicable terms communicated during booking.
Indian Railways will provide a full refund of rail freight when a booking is cancelled before the consignment is picked up, after deducting a clerkage charge of ₹10. The refund arrangements for the logistics components will depend on the respective service providers. The app is expected to communicate these conditions before customers complete their bookings.
The launch comes as the railways expands its parcel-related services ahead of the festive season. Earlier this month, the Railway Board introduced a discounted round-trip booking arrangement for parcel coaches. Under the circular, parcel aggregators can book a return trip at 1.5 times the one-way fare, reducing the combined freight charge by 25 per cent. The discount does not apply as a blanket reduction to all railway parcel bookings.
The new service places the railway network within a broader logistics chain in which digital booking, station-to-station rail movement and private delivery services are combined. Its immediate coverage is limited to the eight listed cities, with the booking process, provider policies and train departure schedules determining how customers access the service. Indian Railways has not specified a public launch date in the information available.
