Swiggy has expanded its Food on Train service to 201 railway stations across India, up sharply from 66 stations in August 2024, as the food-delivery company seeks to capture a larger share of the country’s growing digital travel-food market. The service, launched in partnership with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in March 2024, allows passengers to order meals through Swiggy and have them delivered to their seats at scheduled railway stops.
The expansion comes alongside a sharp increase in usage and a shift in what passengers are ordering. Swiggy said Food on Train has recorded 12-fold growth over the past two years, while adoption in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets is growing twice as fast as in metro cities. The platform is also seeing travelers move toward traditional meals, regional specialties and healthier beverages, with thalis accounting for more than 65% of train-food orders.
Swiggy Expands Food On Train Network To 201 Stations
Swiggy’s latest expansion takes its Food on Train footprint to 201 railway stations, adding locations such as Kolhapur, Wardha, Shahdol, Kakinada, Bharatpur, Chittoor, Thanjavur, Raigarh, Jamnagar, Indore and Tundla.
The service was initially launched at four stations — Bengaluru, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Bhubaneswar — under an MoU with IRCTC.
Since then, Swiggy has steadily expanded its railway coverage, first reaching 100 stations and subsequently crossing 115, 160 and 180-city milestones before the latest 201-station expansion.
Food On Train Expansion
| Milestone | Network |
|---|---|
| Initial launch, March 2024 | 4 stations |
| August 2024 | 66 stations |
| 2025 festive season | 115+ stations |
| April 2026 | 160+ stations |
| June 2026 | 180+ cities |
| August 2026 | 201 stations |
The pace of expansion indicates that Swiggy increasingly views railway travel as a distinct food-consumption occasion rather than simply another delivery channel.
Food On Train Has Recorded 12-Fold Growth
The expansion is being supported by strong demand.
Swiggy’s Food on Train service has recorded 12-fold growth over the past two years, according to data reported alongside the latest expansion. The company has also said its order volumes increased threefold year over year during the April-June 2026 quarter.
The growth is particularly pronounced outside major metropolitan markets.
Key Growth Indicators
| Metric | Reported Figure |
|---|---|
| Food on Train growth over two years | 12x |
| Q1 FY27 order growth YoY | 3x |
| Food on Train network | 201 stations |
| Network in August 2024 | 66 stations |
| Tier-2/3 growth vs metros | 2x faster |
| Multi-station orders growth YoY | 300%+ |
| Additional spending by multi-station users | ~2.2x |
| Stations added during summer 2026 | 17 |
The 3x year-over-year growth reported for the April-June quarter is particularly significant because it came during a period when millions of families were traveling for summer vacations.
Tier-2 And Tier-3 Cities Drive The Next Wave
Swiggy’s railway strategy is increasingly benefiting from smaller cities and emerging travel hubs.
The company said adoption in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets is growing twice as fast as in metro cities. This suggests that train travel is creating a new avenue for digital food adoption among consumers who may not necessarily use online food delivery as frequently in their home cities.
The company’s summer data provides an even clearer indication of this trend.
At Guna in Madhya Pradesh, 66% of Food on Train orders came from first-time Swiggy users. The company also reported that India Rise stations — emerging towns and cities — recorded 253% year-over-year growth, nearly twice the pace of metro markets.
Digital Adoption Through Railway Travel
Train Journey
↓
Passenger Discovers Food On Train
↓
Order At Railway Station
↓
First Swiggy Transaction
↓
Potential Repeat Use Beyond Train Travel
This creates an additional customer-acquisition opportunity for Swiggy. A passenger who first uses the platform while traveling could subsequently use Swiggy’s broader food or convenience services after returning home.
Thalis Account For More Than 65% Of Orders
The latest data also reveals a major shift in passenger food preferences.
Traditional full meals have become the dominant category on trains, with thalis accounting for more than 65% of Food on Train orders. This suggests that passengers are increasingly using the service for complete meals rather than snacks or beverages.
The trend is particularly notable because the online food-delivery industry has historically been associated with restaurant-style fast food, pizza, burgers and other convenience-oriented meals.
Popular Food Trends On Trains
| Food / Beverage | Trend |
|---|---|
| Thalis | 65%+ of train orders |
| Lassi | +60% YoY |
| Buttermilk | +40% YoY |
| Mojitos | +90% YoY |
| Sweets | More than doubled |
| Rasgullas | Major driver of sweet-order growth |
| Roti | 4 lakh+ ordered during summer |
| Chicken biryani | Most-ordered non-vegetarian dish |
| Mango shake | Nearly 10x winter demand during summer |
| Soft drinks | +354% in summer |
| Ice cream | +140% in summer |
The growing preference for lassi, buttermilk and other refreshing drinks suggests that passengers are increasingly looking for alternatives to conventional carbonated beverages.
Regional Food Is Becoming A Major Attraction
Swiggy’s data suggests that Food on Train is evolving into a way for travelers to discover regional cuisine.
At Jaipur Junction, pyaz kachori is the top-selling item, while poha is among the top 10 breakfast choices in Bhopal. Regional biryani varieties dominate orders at several stations in South and Central India.
Lucknow has seen strong demand for biryani alongside Tunday Galouti Kebabs, while Haldiram’s thalis are particularly popular in Nagpur. At Madgaon in Goa, local seafood thalis feature prominently among the most-ordered dishes.
Regional Food Examples
| Railway Station / Region | Popular Choice |
|---|---|
| Jaipur Junction | Pyaz kachori |
| Bhopal | Poha |
| Lucknow | Biryani, Tunday Galouti Kebabs |
| Nagpur | Haldiram’s thalis |
| Madgaon, Goa | Local seafood thalis |
| South & Central India | Regional biryani varieties |
| Nellore | Dosa |
| Vijayawada | Biryani |
The trend gives local restaurants an opportunity to reach travelers who might otherwise have limited access to regional food during a long-distance train journey.
Passengers Are Ordering Food At Multiple Stops
One of the more significant developments is the rise of multi-station ordering.
Swiggy said orders in which the same passenger buys food at two or more stations during one journey increased by more than 300% year over year. These passengers spend nearly 2.2 times as much on food as customers ordering at only one station.
The Bhopal-Nagpur route was the most popular two-stop food journey, with more than 1,300 passengers ordering at both stations during the same booking.
Why Multi-Station Ordering Matters
For Swiggy, a passenger who places several orders during one train journey can generate significantly higher transaction value than a single-order customer.
One PNR
→ Station 1 Order
→ Station 2 Order
→ Higher Food Spend
→ Greater Restaurant Transactions
This can increase the value of each train passenger while also encouraging restaurants located at different stations to participate in the network.
New Features Make Train Ordering Easier
Swiggy has introduced features designed specifically for railway travelers.
The “Search by Train” feature allows passengers to enter their train number or name and immediately see food options mapped to their journey. The company has also introduced a “99 Store” widget that highlights affordable meals for budget-conscious travelers.
Earlier, Swiggy launched “Scan Your Ticket,” which allows passengers to upload their train ticket so the app can automatically identify their PNR and facilitate food ordering.
Passengers can also order meals several days before their journey, reducing the need to search for food during the trip.
Food On Train Expands Swiggy’s Customer Base
The railway service can serve as a customer-acquisition channel for Swiggy in addition to generating direct food-delivery revenue.
During the summer quarter, 66% of orders at Guna were from first-time Swiggy users. This suggests that the train environment can introduce digital food delivery to consumers who may not have previously used the platform.
The company’s partnership with ixigo Trains and ConfirmTkt further expands this opportunity. The April 2026 partnership brought Swiggy’s restaurant network to more than 40,000 restaurants across 160-plus railway stations through the two train-ticketing platforms.
Passengers can enter their PNR, select a delivery station and order food directly through the integrated experience.
Competition And Execution Remain Important
The railway food-delivery market is not exclusively a Swiggy opportunity.
IRCTC’s e-Catering platform already operates a large authorized ecosystem covering more than 400 stations through direct vendors and appointed food aggregators.
Swiggy therefore needs to compete on restaurant variety, reliability, delivery timing, pricing and the digital experience while working within the operational constraints of railway schedules.
A train may stop at a station for only a few minutes, making precise coordination between restaurants, delivery personnel and passengers essential.
Swiggy previously reported completing 35,000 train-food orders at stations with only a 60-second halt, highlighting the operational complexity of the business.
The Bigger Picture
Swiggy’s expansion to 201 railway stations shows how food delivery is moving beyond conventional home and office consumption occasions. Rail travel provides a large, recurring market in which passengers have predictable locations, schedules and meal requirements, creating an opportunity for technology to connect travelers with restaurants along their routes.
The more important development may be the emergence of smaller cities as digital food-delivery markets. With Tier-2 and Tier-3 adoption growing faster than in metros, Food on Train could become both a standalone business opportunity and a customer-acquisition channel for Swiggy’s wider ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
Swiggy is likely to continue expanding station coverage while improving features that make ordering easier before and during journeys. The growth of multi-station ordering, affordable meal options and regional food discovery could encourage passengers to treat train journeys as planned dining occasions rather than simply buying whatever food is available at a station.
The longer-term opportunity will depend on whether Swiggy can maintain delivery reliability while scaling across India’s complex railway network. If it succeeds, Food on Train could become an important bridge between digital food delivery and India’s massive rail-travel ecosystem, particularly in emerging cities where the service is helping introduce new consumers to online food ordering.
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