New Delhi: The Indian Railways will soon launch a door-to-door parcel service in eight cities following a successful pilot run.
The Rail Parcel App - Ghar se Ghar Tak - will allow customers in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune to book doorstep pickup and delivery of parcels transported by the railways. The move is part of the railways' efforts to expand its range of services.
Under the operating model, logistics partners will handle first-mile pickup and last-mile delivery while the railways will transport consignments between stations. Partners may also offer packaging and other value-added services.
"Booking window for door-to-door parcel deliveries will open 15 days ahead of scheduled train departure," a senior official told ET. Customers can book parcels up to one day before a train's scheduled departure. Logistics partners can hand over consignments to railway staff up to an hour before the train's departure.
The mobile app will serve as a digital marketplace connecting customers with selected logistics providers. Customers can book consignments and make payments online, eliminating the need to carry parcels to railway premises or complete conventional paperwork.
The railways will offer a full refund of rail freight if a booking is cancelled before the consignment is picked up, after deducting a clerkage charge of ₹10. Refunds for first-mile pickup and last-mile delivery will be governed by the logistics providers' respective policies. These terms will also be communicated at the time of booking.
Earlier this month, the Railway Board introduced discounted round-trip bookings for parcel coaches ahead of the Diwali-Christmas festive season, when businesses stock up for the holidays. Under a circular, parcel aggregators can book a round trip for 1.5 times the one-way fare. The new formula reduces the combined freight charge by 25%. It does not offer a blanket reduction across all railway parcel bookings.