Indian Railways is preparing to launch its ‘Ghar Se Ghar Tak’ parcel service in eight major cities, allowing customers to book doorstep pickup and delivery through the Rail Parcel App or the railway website instead of visiting station parcel offices.
The service will initially cover Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune. Railway parcel operations will handle the intercity movement of consignments by train, while logistics partners will collect parcels from customers’ homes and deliver them to the specified destination.
The initiative follows a successful pilot run, according to the information reported by Aaj Tak Business. The South Central Railway had shared details of the service on social media on 6 May 2026. Indian Railways has not yet announced a confirmed date for the regular launch.
Customers will be able to book a parcel up to 15 days before the scheduled departure of a train. Bookings will also remain available until one day before departure, subject to the service’s operating conditions. After collection, the logistics partner must hand over the parcel to railway staff at least one hour before the train is scheduled to leave.
The Rail Parcel App is expected to combine booking, online payment and tracking. Customers will receive a 10-digit Progressive Reference Record, or PRR, number for each booking. The number will be used to check the parcel’s status. The app will also provide digital GST invoices and live tracking updates.
Payment options will include UPI, credit cards, debit cards and net banking. Delivery verification will be carried out through a one-time password, intended to ensure that the parcel reaches the correct recipient.
The service will operate through a division of responsibilities between the railway and logistics companies. Railways will transport parcels from one city to another, while its logistics partners will manage the first-mile pickup and last-mile delivery. This arrangement allows the railway network to be integrated with a doorstep logistics layer rather than requiring customers to independently move parcels to and from stations.
The refund rules distinguish between railway freight and the logistics component. If a customer cancels the railway freight booking before the parcel is picked up, the railway will refund the freight after deducting a ₹10 clerkage charge. Charges paid for home pickup and delivery will be governed by the individual logistics partner’s cancellation and refund policy.
The proposed service is aimed at individual customers, small businesses and online sellers that regularly send goods between cities. By removing the need to visit railway parcel offices, it could make rail-based shipping more accessible for users who currently depend on private courier or transport arrangements. However, the service will initially be restricted to the eight listed cities, and details such as launch date, pricing and the participating logistics companies have not been specified in the reported information.
Indian Railways is expected to provide further details before the regular service begins, including the operational schedule and customer booking arrangements.
