If you buy reserved train tickets at a railway counter rather than online, you can add travel insurance to them from Tuesday, 27 October. The Optional Travel Insurance Scheme, which so far has been available only on e-tickets booked through IRCTC, is being extended to Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters under a Railway Board directive to zonal railways.
What it costs and what it covers
The premium is 45 paise per passenger, inclusive of taxes, according to reports, which is the same rate that applies to online bookings. The existing terms of the e-ticket scheme carry over to counter tickets. The maximum cover is:
- ₹10 lakh for death or permanent total disability caused by a railway accident or untoward incident
- Up to ₹7.5 lakh for permanent partial disability
- Up to ₹2 lakh for hospitalisation expenses
- ₹10,000 for transporting mortal remains
These are upper limits, not fixed payouts. What a claim pays depends on the policy’s terms and conditions.
How to buy it at the counter
The insurance is optional, and nobody has to take it to buy a ticket. Counter staff have been asked to tell passengers that it is available before they complete a booking. If you want it, you will need to share a mobile number, which is where the policy details are sent, and pay the premium digitally along with your fare. So keep UPI or a card handy when you go to book.
Why the change is happening
The move follows a Supreme Court order earlier this month, in a case on railway safety, that called for insurance to be extended to passengers who buy tickets over the counter. Until now, people who booked at a station, often older travellers or those less comfortable with apps, had no easy way to get the same low-cost cover that online passengers could tick a box for.
What to do before your next trip
Ask for the insurance when you book, check that the mobile number you give is correct, and keep the SMS with your policy details until the journey is over. If you book online, nothing changes: the option still appears during the IRCTC booking process.