Railways join hands with India Post for door to door delivery of parcel

Indian Railways is working on a tie-up with India Post for the door to door delivery of consignments across the country.

With the Railways has already succeeded in a pilot project in providing first and last-mile connectivity to send two ventilators from Nagpur to Mumbai during Covid-19 lockdown, the national transporter wanted to expand the service throughout pan India.

As per the plan, India Post picks up the consignments from the premises of the customers and delivers to the consignee at the destination through special parcel trains being operated by the Railways.

"It is basically door-to-door delivery of service. The Central Railways Zone in Mumbai has done a pilot project and we are planning to introduce this pan-India," Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav said.

India Post staff will pick up and deliver consignment ( first and last-mile connectivity) the Railways will ferry the consignment for the longer route in its parcel trains, he said.

Keeping in view the special parcel trains being operated by the Central Railway, the Central Railway and Maharashtra Postal Circle came together by offering India Post Railway Parcel Service.

Initially, the service was between Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur stations which was expanded to Solapur, Kolhapur, Nashik and Akola.

India Post during lockdown period largely depends on Indian Railways parcel trains to transport posts and consignment due to absence of another mode of transportation. India Post in association with pharma companies delivered ventilators, medicines and other hospital equipments through railway parcel vans.

With the regular trains services suspended, the Railways is working on to increase the freight revenue. It already operated fixed time tabled parcel trains on pilot basis to transport fruits and vegetables. The Railways also plans to operate fixed timetabled parcel vans to ferry goods on major routes.