Kathmandu. The Supreme Court of India has directed that travel insurance will be mandatory for all passengers buying train tickets at station counters from October 27. Currently, passengers can opt for this facility by paying a small additional fee while booking tickets online.
A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan passed the order on October 6 while hearing a petition filed in the aftermath of the train accident in Odisha on June 6, 2023. The bench said in its order, “All tickets sold offline from October 27 should include travel insurance. This is a mandatory directive for the railways. There is no optional facility that passengers can choose. ’
Currently, travel insurance is an optional facility for passengers booking tickets online through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) web portal or mobile app. Currently, this insurance costs Rs 0.45 per passenger (including taxes) and is not yet available for tickets booked at railway counters. However, the travel insurance premium for over-the-counter tickets has not yet been finalized and may differ from the online rates.
The process of issuing insurance certificates, identifying insured passengers, and processing claims for over-the-counter tickets will depend on the system implemented by the authorities. However, travel insurance is not applicable for children below 5 years of age. Those who are booked without a berth or seat. This is applicable for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. For which tickets can be booked with or without a berth. When a passenger chooses insurance, the claim and responsibility lies with the insured and the insurance company.
Under the current scheme, the death of a passenger provides an insurance cover of up to Rs 10 lakh. – Agency
