Building delight into every detail
Our designers took an unconventional approach: "At every point, we kept asking two questions," says Soumya, our product designer. 'Does it evoke nostalgia?' and 'Will this be intuitive to book?'
This led to a hilarious story - the toy train tale.
During design reviews, one element captured everyone's imagination - a tiny animated toy train. ‘I was getting anxious,’ recalls Soumya. ‘The basic booking flow wasn't ready, but our founder Anil was completely focused on whether the toy train looked more meter gauge than broad gauge!’ His constant comment: ‘Make it 3X more delightful! Trains cannot miss out on nostalgia!’
Building at tatkal speed
What happened next was unprecedented. While most platforms take 3-4 months to integrate train bookings, our team took up the challenge to do it in just 15 days.
The secret? A combination of startup hustle and smart technology. We created a new Travel SDK that changed how we approach travel products at Scapia. ‘This isn't just about trains,’ explains Abdul. "We've built a foundation that will power all future travel experiences on Scapia, whether on your phone or web browser.
The next station
As we roll out across India, we're already working on features that capture more of what makes train travel special:
Tatkal booking optimization
More payment flexibility with EMIs
Enhanced family booking features
‘I was getting anxious,’ recalls Soumya. ‘The basic booking flow wasn't ready, but our founder Anil was completely focused on whether the toy train looked more meter gauge than broad gauge!’ His constant comment: ‘Make it 3X more delightful! Trains cannot miss out on nostalgia!’ This seemingly small detail became symbolic of our approach - combine utility with pure delight.
Soumya
Design
A note from the team
Every person who worked on Scapia Trains brought their own train stories to the table. Some remembered their first solo journey, others recalled family vacations where the journey was as memorable as the destination. We poured all these memories into building something that honors the timeless magic of Indian Railways while making it ready for tomorrow's travellers.
