Every day, millions of people travel by train in India, but very few know that online railway ticket booking comes with extremely cheap travel insurance.
This insurance costs less than 1 rupee and provides coverage worth millions of rupees, making it a smart and affordable safety option for passengers.
Recently, the Supreme Court raised questions about why this insurance is only available for online tickets and not for tickets purchased at railway counters, making this news highly relevant for all travelers.
What is Railway Travel Insurance?
When booking tickets online through IRCTC, passengers can opt for travel insurance.
While optional, this insurance provides financial protection in case of accidents during the journey.
Despite its low cost, the coverage is substantial:
Up to ₹10 lakh in case of death or permanent disability
Up to ₹7.5 lakh for partial disability
Up to ₹2 lakh for hospitalization
This combination of high coverage at minimal cost makes railway travel insurance unique and very valuable.
Why is It Only Available Online?
Currently, this insurance is only offered with online tickets because insurance companies are directly linked to IRCTC’s digital system.
For tickets purchased at railway counters, passenger details are entered manually, which makes it technically challenging to provide insurance.
However, after the Supreme Court questioned this system, there is a possibility that counter-ticket passengers might also get this facility in the future.
Supreme Court Steps In
The Supreme Court asked the railways why millions of passengers buying counter tickets are being denied this affordable insurance.
The court emphasized that safety-related facilities should not discriminate between online and offline passengers.
What Could Change for Passengers?
Railway travel insurance is a low-cost way to secure financial protection while traveling.
With the Supreme Court’s intervention, it is likely that passengers buying tickets at railway counters may soon benefit from the same insurance.
For now, passengers booking online should not miss the opportunity to add this inexpensive but valuable protection to their train journeys.
