Optional Travel Insurance Scheme: Railways extends facility to counter tickets; check premium, coverage and more

New Delhi: The Indian Railways has decided to extend the optional travel insurance facility to passengers who book their tickets at railway counters through offline mode. The decision came after the Supreme Court's order, dated October 6, directing the Railway Board to cover offline or counter tickets under the Optional Travel Insurance Scheme (OTIS).

The facility was, until now, available to passengers who made ticket reservations online. The terms and conditions for OTIS issued by the IRCTC, which have so far governed passengers with e-tickets, would now also be applicable to passengers buying tickets from the counters.

As per the order issued by the Railway Board, all zonal railways have been instructed to make the necessary arrangements to ensure the implementation of the facility by October 27. The railway zones have to further inform the staff about the implementation of the insurance scheme.

The insurance coverage includes only Indian nationals, as per the IRCTC guidelines, and is applicable to confirmed, partly confirmed, and Reservation against Cancellation (RAC) tickets at the time of booking.

The premium of 45 paise, which is applicable to e-tickets, is also applicable to offline tickets for those opting for the insurance scheme, with payment mandatorily made digitally. When the passenger makes the ticket payment, the premium would be added to the fare, and the railway staff has to ensure that the passenger's accurate mobile number is recorded along with other details in accordance with the reservation procedure. This would ensure that all the required information is transmitted to the insurance company for the issuance of the scheme.

The insurance coverage would range from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. The highest coverage would be provided in cases of death or permanent total disability due to a railway accident or any tragedy. Coverage of Rs 7.5 lakh would be given to those suffering permanent partial disability, while up to Rs 2 lakh would go towards hospitalisation expenses. Moreover, Rs 10,000 would be provided for the transportation of mortal remains following a railway accident or tragic incident.

People opting for insurance coverage would be informed of the relevant policy details through their registered mobile numbers. The Railway Board is yet to issue further instructions regarding OTIS to reservation supervisors and counter staff.

The Supreme Court took note of people from the lowest strata of society who are still not equipped with the resources to make online reservations and are thus dependent on Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters for tickets. Therefore, despite most ticket reservations being made online, the top court has ordered the extension of the scheme to cover passengers who still rely on offline methods.