Railways Mulls Using India Post Services for Pan-India Last-Mile Connectivity for Consignment

NEW DELHI: The Railways is considering using India Post services for last-mile connectivity for consignment across the country, Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav said Thursday, after a pilot project was carried out by the Central Railways in Maharashtra.
Earlier, the India Post Railway Parcel Service, a combined service of the Central Railway and India Post, was used for providing first and last-mile connectivity to send two ventilators from Nagpur to Mumbai during the coronavirus lockdown.

The door-to-door service took 24 hours.
“So, basically, it is a door-to-door delivery of service. The Central Railways has done a pilot project and we are planning to introduce this pan-India,” Yadav told a press briefing.

“We are doing this in collaboration with the postal services. While they are doing the short distances — the last and first mile connectivity –the Railways are on the longer route,” he said.
The use of the postal service was envisaged by the Central Railways when individuals and commercial establishments were finding it difficult to move their large size consignments containing essential and other items during Covid-19 lockdown.
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.
India Post picks up the consignments from the premises of the customers and delivers to the consignee at destination through special parcel trains being operated by the Central Railway and Postal Mail Motor Service.
Initially the service was between Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur stations which was expanded to Solapur, Kolhapur, Nashik and Akola.

Source: PTI