Swiggy's Food on Train service has achieved remarkable expansion since its launch in March 2024, recording 12-fold growth over the past two years. According to reports from Business Standard, the service has grown from 66 stations in August 2024 to 201 stations currently, demonstrating rapid adoption across India's railway network. The platform has added several new stations including Kolhapur, Wardha, Shahdol, Kakinada, Bharatpur, Chittoor, Thanjavur, Raigarh, Jamnagar, Indore and Tundla to its network. As per Business Standard, this growth trajectory shows how technology is creating entirely new consumption occasions, with travellers not only planning meals around their journeys, but also using the opportunity to discover regional favourites along the way.
The service is experiencing particularly strong growth in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, where adoption rates are twice as fast as in metro areas. According to Business Standard, this trend highlights how food delivery is becoming part of everyday consumption moments rather than just special occasions. Sidharth Bhakoo, Chief Business Officer at Swiggy Food Marketplace, noted that online food delivery has evolved from being associated mainly with special occasions to becoming part of a wider range of everyday consumption moments. As reported by Business Standard, Food on Train has witnessed widespread adoption across various consumer cohorts, including Gen Z, demonstrating its appeal across different demographic segments. The growth of Food on Train highlights Swiggy's efforts to tap into new consumption occasions by making food delivery more convenient, accessible and relevant to travellers.
To improve the service, Swiggy has introduced two new features aimed at making food ordering on trains quicker and easier. The 'Search by Train' feature allows passengers to enter their train number or name to instantly find food options mapped to their specific route and schedule. Additionally, the platform has launched a '99 Store widget', which brings together budget-friendly meal options for passengers looking for affordable food during their journey. These features demonstrate the company's focus on affordability and convenience for railway passengers, with the '99 Store' widget serving as a dedicated hub on the app that lets passengers quickly navigate to budget-friendly meal options. Speaking on the growth of the Food on Train offering, Sidharth Bhakoo, Chief Business Officer, Swiggy Food Marketplace said, "Food on Train has seen multifold growth since its launch in March 2024 and has witnessed widespread adoption across various consumer cohorts, including Gen Z. We are also seeing a huge opportunity for our affordability offerings and have launched a special widget for 99 Store."
According to Swiggy's latest data, passengers are increasingly opting for traditional and refreshing beverages over conventional fizzy drinks. Orders for lassi have increased significantly, with 60% of passengers now preferring traditional drinks like lassi, buttermilk (40%), and mojitos (90%), while orders for standard carbonated drinks have dropped considerably. At the same time, demand for standard carbonated drinks has declined considerably. Traditional Indian meals are also gaining popularity, with thalis accounting for more than 65% of all orders placed through the Food on Train service. Sweets have seen an exponential increase, with orders for sweets rising 110%, led by rasgullas emerging as a major driver of the increase. For many passengers, ordering food on trains is also becoming a way to sample local specialities from different parts of the country. As reported by Business Standard, in just over a year, passengers have switched from fast food and carbonated drinks to healthier, refreshing options.
The service has transformed train journeys into regional food tours, with passengers using their journeys to sample local specialties from different parts of the country. According to Business Standard's station-level data, pyaz kachori is the top-selling item at Jaipur Junction, while poha ranks among the top 10 breakfast staples in Bhopal. Regional biryani varieties dominate orders at several stations in South and Central India, with Lucknow featuring biryani among the leading choices alongside famous Tunday Galouti Kebabs. At Nagpur, Haldiram's thalis lead orders, while local seafood thalis are among the most popular choices at Madgaon in Goa. This trend shows how travellers are using their train journeys as regional culinary tours, ordering iconic local specialities right from their berths. Sidharth Bhakoo emphasized that Food on Train is a strong example of how technology is creating entirely new consumption occasions, with travellers increasingly planning meals around their journeys while also discovering regional favourites along the way.
