Now send parcels by train without visiting the station

With a push towards digital convenience and doorstep services, South Central Railway has rolled out a new mobile platform to simplify parcel movement across the country.

Rail Parcel App is a technologically advanced project designed to expedite and simplify package booking and delivery via Indian Railways.

The service was officially flagged off in Hyderabad on Wednesday, which became the first division to implement the pilot project.

Until now, customers were required to visit railway stations and complete paperwork to book parcels. The new application brings first-mile pickup, rail transport and last-mile delivery onto a single digital platform.

It offers parcel booking, digital payments and real-time tracking, with automated alerts at every stage of the delivery process.

Sanjay Kumar Shirvastava, General Manager, South Central Railways says, “The special thing about this application is that there is first-mile and last-mile connectivity. Earlier, you had to go to the station to deliver the parcel and fill out forms. Here, sitting at home, with the help of the mobile application, you can book your parcel and specify where it needs to go. You don’t need to go anywhere. The pickup will happen at your doorstep, and they will fill out the forms and take the parcel wherever you want. If you want delivery, they will deliver it wherever you want."

The app connects logistics partners who handle pickup and delivery, while the railways take care of long-distance travel.

Users can compare partner pricing and ratings before choosing a service provider.

He further adds that, “The pricing for the main long-distance part of the journey which will be done by rail, will be the same as the railways. For the first mile and last mile, meaning pickup and delivery, we have tied up with logistics partners. In the app, you can see the logistics partners along with their pricing and ratings. Based on the pricing and ratings, you can choose which partner you want for pickup and delivery.”

The Rail Parcel app will start with about 17 stations and is being marketed as a big step towards making railway parcel services more modern.

There is also an MoU with IIM-Bengaluru to do a detailed study of the goods logistics market for South Central Railway. The goal is to make goods transport better across the network.