Passengers booking train tickets from the railway ticket booking counters will also now be eligible to get insurance for their journey under the new rules. The Supreme Court has directed Indian Railways to extend insurance coverage to all train tickets purchased at railway station counters from October 27, 2026.
\n\nNotably, the existing online scheme offers up to Rs 10 lakh for death or permanent total disability, but the premium and process for offline bookings remain to be clarified.
\n\nThe directive was issued by a bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan on October 6 while hearing a case concerning railway safety following the June 2023 Odisha train accident.
\n\nThe court said it had given the authorities sufficient time to develop a mechanism for covering offline passengers but found that progress had not been made. It made the implementation mandatory and held the Railway Board directly responsible for any failure to comply.
\n\nUntil now, passengers booking through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website or mobile app could opt for travel insurance during the booking process.
\n\nPassengers receive coverage for specified losses arising from railway accidents and certain other covered incidents during the journey.
\n\nThe court has directed…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy
