Summary of this article
Offline railway ticket buyers will soon get optional travel insurance.
The Supreme Court directed Indian Railways to extend this by October 27.
Coverage includes up to Rs 10 lakh for accidental death and disability.
Indian Railways passengers buying offline tickets over the counter would soon get the travel insurance benefit on their tickets, starting October 27, 2026. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had directed Indian Railways to extend the benefit of travel insurance to railway passengers buying their tickets over the counter. This ruling came when the court was hearing a case regarding improvement in safety and preventing accidents across the railway network.
At present, Indian Railways offers travel insurance only on e-tickets (online tickets) bought from the IRCTC website. In light of this, the apex court in its ruling ordered Indian Railways to offer the same insurance benefits on the offline tickets as well.
What Is The Premium For Optional Travel Insurance
The optional insurance coverage is offered at a premium of Rs 0.45 or 45 paise including taxes per passenger, effective February 17, 2024. Originally, this optional travel insurance scheme was launched in 2016 at a premium of Rs 0.49 or 49 paise.
What Is The Coverage Offered
The insurance covers death liability (Rs 10 lakh), permanent total disability (Rs 10 lakh), permanent partial disability (Rs 7.50 lakh), hospitalisation expenses for injury (Rs 2 lakh), and transportation of mortal remains (Rs 10,000).
The timing of the offer is significant with the festival season underway. Every year, millions of Indians rely on Indian Railways to make their travel plans for the holiday and festival season. The railways also run special trains on selected routes to accommodate the huge passenger rush during this time. Offering travel insurance to passengers buying over the counter tickets adds a layer of safety for millions of passengers during the festival season.
When Will The Change Be Effective
During the hearing, the apex court pointed out that it is mainly the people belonging to the lowest socio-economic section of the society who buy tickets over the counter, and they are the ones who need travel security the most. It further said that despite the passenger safety and accident prevention provisions in place, the funds, even though allocated in the Union Budget, remained unutilised.
The apex court asked Indian Railways to mandatorily provide the insurance coverage option on all the offline tickets bought over the counter. It directed authorities to comply with the order within two weeks, effective from October 27, 2026.
According to the court’s direction, if Indian Railways does not comply with the order, the Railway Board will be held directly responsible for non-compliance. However, until the change takes effect, the insurance access remains available only to those booking their tickets online from IRCTC.
