Swiggy’s Food on Train service finds unlikely heroes in students, with 1 in 3 orders from campus travellers

Swiggy’s IRCTC-linked Food on Train service has seen a sharp uptick in demand from students, who accounted for one in three users in May 2025, the company said in a statement. With the summer holiday season underway, students have turned to food delivery on trains for both convenience and variety.

According to data shared by Swiggy, engineering students led the pack, making up nearly 70% of total student orders. Campuses such as IIT Kharagpur, IIT BHU Varanasi, and Vellore Institute of Technology saw the highest usage.

“About 1 in 5 students placed at least two orders on the same journey, often dinner at one station, followed by dessert at the next,” Swiggy said in a statement.

A wide range of cuisines were ordered—from biryani and burgers to vegan meals and seafood. While comfort food from fast-food chains such as McDonald’s, KFC, and Pizza Hut remained popular, several students also opted for healthier alternatives like wholesome bowls and home-style meals from cloud kitchens.

“The range of food items ordered includes comforting Biryani; Continental and Italian picks like Burgers, Paneer Tikka Quesadilla, Spaghetti Aglio Olio; Arabic and Mediterranean food, Vegan food, and Seafood delicacies like King Fish Tawa Fry and Chicken Kasha Bhuna,” the company added.

Students not only are ordering more than once during their train journey, there also are cases where bulk orders are getting placed. One such order came from Bhopal Junction, where a student placed a ₹6,070 order for 30 thalis aboard the Gondwana Superfast Express, feeding an entire coach of co-passengers.

Nagpur station emerged as the most active hub for student orders, given its central location and regular halts for major long-distance trains.

Swiggy also noted a significant number of student customers used Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and other credit-based options to manage their travel budgets. With the ‘Food on Train’ service, passengers can place pre-orders via the app and have food delivered directly to their seats.

Swiggy is not the only aggregator offering food on train service. IRCTC’s eCatering has 22 food partners including Zomato, Domino’s and Faasos, with delivery to over 300 railway stations. Swiggy’s Food on Train service is however, currently available only at over 100 stations.

The recent data reveals how students are increasingly becoming an important customer segment both for the food delivery platforms and for the Indian Railways.