Indian Railways to Launch 'Ghar Se Ghar Tak' Parcel Service
Indian Railways to launch 'Ghar Se Ghar Tak' door-to-door parcel service in 8 cities on Dec 26, 2026.
Indian Railways is set to revolutionize the logistics sector with the upcoming launch of its Ghar Se Ghar Tak door-to-door parcel service. Scheduled to officially go live on December 26, 2026, this new initiative aims to provide ultimate convenience by offering doorstep pickup and delivery, meaning customers will no longer need to travel to railway stations to send their goods.
The service is slated to make its debut in eight major metropolitan cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Pune.
A Smart Co-Branding Model
To ensure seamless operations, Indian Railways is adopting a co-branding model in partnership with Logistics Service Providers (LSPs). Under this arrangement, the LSPs will manage the "first-mile" (pickup from the sender's location) and the "last-mile" (delivery to the receiver's doorstep) transport. Meanwhile, Indian Railways will handle the heavy-duty inter-city transit using specialized parcel vans and SLR coaches.
To maintain efficiency, LSPs are required to hand over the parcels to railway staff at the origin station within a specific window, ranging from 12 hours to just one hour before the scheduled train departure.
Easy Booking and Real-Time Tracking
Customers can manage their shipments with ease through the dedicated 'Rail Parcel' mobile app or the official website. However, there are specific timelines to keep in mind: bookings must be made between 15 days and 24 hours prior to the train's scheduled departure.
One of the standout features of this service is the advanced tracking capability. Users can monitor their shipments in real-time using GPS technology via a unique 10-digit Progressive Reference Record (PRR) number. This ensures complete transparency from the moment the parcel leaves the doorstep until it reaches its destination.
Security and Digital Payments
Safety and ease of transaction have been integrated into the core of this service. To prevent theft or misplacement, the system uses OTP-based verification at both the time of pickup and the final delivery.
For payments, the platform supports a wide range of digital options, including:
- UPI
- Credit Cards
- Debit Cards
- Net Banking
Refund Policy for Cancellations
Indian Railways has also outlined clear guidelines regarding refunds. If a booking is cancelled before the actual pickup takes place, the railway will issue a full refund of the rail freight, minus a small 10-rupee clerkage fee. It is important to note that refunds for the logistics portion of the service will be governed by the specific policies of the respective contracted LSPs.
The project, established by the Railway Board, is currently in its final stages of testing by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) to ensure a smooth and reliable rollout for the public.