Swiggy Expands 'Food on Train' Service
Swiggy has more than doubled its 'Food on Train' service with IRCTC, now covering 152 stations across India, up from 70 a year ago. The expansion highlights a broader push by logistics and food-tech platforms to capture demand in non-metro areas and travel corridors.
The strategic partnership with IRCTC taps into a massive captive audience, as Indian Railways carries over 20 million passengers daily. This move pits Swiggy directly against its primary rival, Zomato, which also has a similar agreement with IRCTC, turning the railway network into a new battleground for India's food-delivery giants. This expansion heavily targets non-metro routes, with over 55% of the network now serving Tier-2 and smaller towns. Stations like Nagpur, Kanpur, Surat, and Vijayawada are already among the highest-ordering locations, validating the demand outside major urban centers. The service now spans the breadth of the country, from Guwahati in the east to Rajkot in the west. To cater to on-the-go diners, Swiggy developed a "Train Friendly Dishes" menu, featuring 40 popular rail cuisines tailored for convenience. This data-driven feature uses passenger history and route-specific demand trends to personalize recommendations and already accounts for 22% of all train orders. The logistics are planned hours in advance, leveraging passenger PNR numbers to coordinate with local restaurants and delivery partners. Delivery executives are positioned on the platform 15-20 minutes before the train's scheduled arrival, with precise knowledge of the coach and seat numbers to ensure a swift handover during brief stops. Passengers can pre-order meals up to four days in advance, a significant increase from the previous 24-hour window.
