Railway Counter Reservation Tickets to Get Insurance Cover of Up to Rs 10 Lakh From October 27

New Delhi: Reservation tickets purchased at railway station counters will now be eligible for insurance cover, similar to tickets booked online. The Supreme Court's order will come into effect on October 27. The insurance will provide coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh for a premium of 45 paise. Until now, the facility was available only to passengers booking tickets online through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

The insurance will be available to passengers purchasing reserved tickets through Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters. Opting for insurance will be voluntary. Passengers must request coverage and pay the premium while purchasing their tickets. Those who do not opt for insurance will not be covered under the scheme.

Passengers choosing insurance must provide their mobile number and other required details. Information about the insurance policy will be sent to the registered mobile number. Counter staff must inform passengers about the insurance facility.

In the event of death in a train accident or other untoward incidents covered under the insurance terms, the maximum compensation will be Rs 10 lakh. The same amount will be paid in cases of permanent total disability. Coverage of up to Rs 7.5 lakh will be available for partial disability, while passengers injured in covered incidents who require hospital treatment will be eligible for compensation of up to Rs 2 lakh.

The terms and conditions of the existing IRCTC insurance scheme will also apply to tickets purchased at counters. Coverage will be available to Indian citizens holding confirmed, Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) or partially confirmed reservation tickets. General-class tickets will not be covered. Children below five years of age will also be excluded, while those aged between five and 11 will be eligible subject to the scheme's conditions.

The order states that the chairman and members of the Railway Board will be held personally accountable and action may be taken against them if the directions are not implemented.

The court asked the Railways to establish a framework to extend insurance protection to passengers purchasing tickets at counters, noting that people from the most economically disadvantaged sections of society often use this facility. The Railways, however, did not respond to the court's request. The order was subsequently issued without waiting for a reply.

The court had also questioned why passengers buying tickets online and those purchasing them offline were treated differently in terms of insurance coverage, but the Railways did not respond to that query either.

The order was issued in one of the petitions filed raising concerns over railway passenger safety and insurance coverage.