Railway Ticket Travel Insurance Now at Counters From Tomorrow: Premium, Cover and How to Opt In
Railway ticket insurance is set to become available at booking counters, offering passengers travel protection.
Railway ticket travel insurance will be available at railway counters from tomorrow, giving passengers an option to secure financial protection during their journey.
Railway Ticket: Passengers who buy train tickets at railway reservation counters will be able to opt for travel insurance from Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Until now, the cover was available only to those who booked tickets online.
Indian Railways is introducing the change on the direction of the Supreme Court. A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan asked the railways to extend travel insurance to tickets issued at counters, and fixed October 27, 2026, as the date for implementation. The Railway Board has been made directly responsible for compliance, and it has asked all zonal railways to complete preparations in time for the launch.
Railway Ticket: Supreme Court Order Behind the Change
The rollout follows a direction from a Supreme Court bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan, passed on October 6 during proceedings on railway safety that began after the June 2023 Odisha train accident. The Centre had told the court on May 11 that it had decided to extend insurance to counter tickets and was working out the arrangements. At the October 6 hearing, the bench found that little progress had been made and gave the Railways two weeks to put the system in place.
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The court noted that many passengers who buy tickets at counters come from economically weaker sections and have so far been left without cover. It held the Railway Board directly responsible for compliance and ordered the Board’s chairman and members to appear before it in person on November 16, 2026. Industry estimates cited in reports put offline purchases at around 11 to 12 per cent of all railway tickets sold in a year.
Railway Ticket: Premium and Coverage
Taking the insurance will be optional, and passengers who want it will pay a separate premium. Under the existing online scheme, the premium is 45 paise per passenger per journey, inclusive of taxes. That works out to a base premium of 38 paise plus 7 paise in GST. Reports from the past week say the exact premium and terms for counter bookings have not yet been announced, so the online figure is the reference point for now.
Under the online scheme, the cover applies to accidents and untoward incidents from the time a train departs until it reaches its destination, including boarding and de-boarding. Death and permanent total disability each carry a payout of Rs 10 lakh, while permanent partial disability is covered up to Rs 7.5 lakh.
Hospitalisation expenses for injuries are covered up to Rs 2 lakh, and Rs 10,000 is provided for transporting the mortal remains of a deceased passenger. The online scheme covers children aged five to 11 but not those under five. In the Lok Sabha in 2025, the Railway Minister said insurers had settled 333 claims over five years, paying out a total of Rs 27.22 crore.
Railway Ticket: What Counter Passengers Need to Do
Passengers who want the cover at the counter will need to give a mobile number, and arrangements are being made for the premium to be paid digitally. Passengers should therefore carry a phone when buying their ticket. Reports note that the Railways has yet to explain how policy documents will be issued to counter buyers and how claims will be processed, and that the final terms will depend on the notification for the new arrangement.
