Passengers purchasing reserved train tickets at station reservation counters will now be able to opt for travel insurance, following a directive issued by the Railway Board to all railway zones on Saturday. The facility, which was previously restricted to online ticket bookings, must be operational across all passenger reservation counters by October 27 in compliance with a Supreme Court ruling.
Under the expanded service, counter ticket holders will be charged a premium of 45 paise per passenger, matching the rate currently applicable to online bookings. However, the Railway Board has specified that counter passengers opting for the protection cover must pay this insurance premium exclusively through digital payment methods at the time of fare collection.
New Booking Procedures for Counter Staff
To facilitate the rollout, the board instructed railway zones to ensure counter clerks and reservation supervisors accurately capture each passenger’s mandatory mobile number alongside their travel details. This information will be forwarded to the insurer to generate the policy, with details dispatched to the traveler via mobile communication. Staff have also been directed to actively inform travelers about the availability of the coverage.
The procedural terms and conditions governing the counter policies will mirror the existing Optional Travel Insurance Scheme administered by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation for electronic tickets.
Court Mandate to Protect Offline Travelers
The administrative directive stems from an October 6 Supreme Court order requiring rail authorities to bring offline ticket buyers into the optional insurance fold. While digital transactions currently represent more than 87 percent of all railway bookings, the apex court observed that an extensive segment of passengers, particularly those from remote locations and lower socioeconomic backgrounds, continue to rely on physical ticket windows. The bench noted that sufficient time had been provided to railway authorities to set up an operational mechanism for these travelers.
While Indian Railways is legally mandated to provide statutory compensation for passenger casualties and injuries resulting from train accidents and other untoward occurrences, the third-party insurance scheme acts as a supplemental layer of financial cover.
Coverage Limits and Eligibility Conditions
The policy provides financial compensation ranging between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, depending on the severity of the incident. It covers death, permanent total disability, permanent partial disability, medical expenses for hospitalization, and the transportation of mortal remains resulting from railway accidents and untoward events.
Coverage remains subject to specific eligibility criteria set under existing guidelines:
The facility is limited to Indian citizens holding confirmed, RAC, or partially confirmed reserved tickets at the time of booking.
Children aged five to 11 are eligible for coverage whether they travel with or without an assigned seat or berth.
Children under the age of five traveling without an allocated berth or seat are excluded from the insurance program.
The policy continues to exclude unreserved second-class and general-class passengers, who form the majority of rail travelers across the country.
