The story begins with a feedback
“Give us cashback for our coins.”
This simple request kept appearing in our user feedback, especially from cities without airports. When we mapped these requests, a pattern emerged - they were coming from places like Mysore, Jaipur, and various towns in Madhya Pradesh. Places with strong economies but limited air connectivity.
This insight led us to a bigger truth. While we were building for India's ambitious travellers, we weren't yet serving India's most beloved way to travel - trains.
Understanding the soul of Indian travel
Since 1853, trains have been more than just transportation in India - they're the thread that connects our stories, families, and memories. For our team, this wasn't just another product launch - it was personal.
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
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.
