In the current situation of COVID-19 lockdown, individuals and commercial establishments are finding it difficult to move their large size consignments containing the essential and other items. Speed Post service is being widely used by a large number of people for sending their parcels. However, for consignments in highway weight slabs, the customers find it difficult to transport these items to the Post offices for booking.
Keeping in view the special parcel trains being operated by the Central Railway, the Central Railway and Maharashtra Postal Circle decided to synergise the capabilities of India Post and Indian Railways within Maharashtra State by offering India Post Railway Parcel Service w.e.f. 15/05/2020.
To begin with, India Post Railway Parcel Service shall be available from and between Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur stations, to be extended to other stations later.
India Post shall pick up the consignments from the premises of the customers and deliver to the consignee at the destination through special parcel trains being operated by the Central Railway and Postal Mail Motor Service.
As a trial run, the consignment picked up from Hingana in Nagpur on 09.05.2020 was transported through India Post Railway Parcel Service and reached the destination at Mumbai on 10.05.2020. Thus, the first and last mile of the journey will be covered by India Post and transported between the origin and destination station through Railways.
This service enables the customers to avail transportation of the consignments at an economical rate and with the door service facility.
This marks further diversification of postal services into the logistics segment in a bigger way since this scheme is economical for larger consignments of two quintals or more. This also underscores the coming together of Indian Railways, started in 1853, and India Post, started in 1854, to offer convenience and value to customers.