Indian Railways offers accidental insurance to passengers who buy tickets online from IRCTC. The Indian Railways had launched an Optional Travel Insurance Scheme with effect from September 1, 2016. The insurance scheme is available on optional basis for all reserved classes (SL, 1AC, 2AC, 3AC) and trains except passenger trains and sub-urban trains. But the only condition is that the tickets should be booked online on the IRCTC websites.

This insurance scheme provide financial support to the family/legal heir in case of death/injury of reserved passengers due to train accident/untoward incidents as defined under section 123 read with Sections 124 and 124A of the Railways Act, 1989, subject to the qualification that the coverage will be valid from the actual departure of train from the originating station to actual arrival of train at the destination station including ‘process of entraining’ and ‘process of detraining’ the train.

The sum insured to be given to passengers are as follows: (A) Rs. 10 lakh in case of passenger’s death (B) Rs. 10 lakh in case of permanent total disability of pasenger (C) upto Rs.7.5 lakh in case of permanent partial disability (D) Rs. 2 lakh in case of hospitalization expenses for injury (E) Rs. 10,000 in case of transportation of mortal remains.

There is no increase in fare. The Insurance Scheme is optional for passengers and if any passenger opts for scheme then only the premium of Rs.0.92 (inclusive of taxes) per passenger is charged. The accident insurance scheme was launched on pilot basis in 2016-end.