The Supreme Court has directed Indian Railways to provide mandatory travel insurance for all tickets sold at station counters from October 27, 2026. Details here.
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The Supreme Court has directed Indian Railways to extend insurance coverage to passengers buying train tickets at station counters from October 27, 2026. At present, passengers can get this facility when making train travel reservations online by paying a nominal additional amount.
A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan pronounced the order on October 6, 2026, while hearing a petition filed in the aftermath of the Odisha train accident that happened in June 2023.
Is travel insurance for train tickets mandatory?
According to the apex court's order, all tickets sold offline must be covered by travel insurance from October 27. This is a mandatory direction to the railways, rather than an optional facility that passengers can independently choose.
Travel insurance is currently optional for passengers who are booking tickets online through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation's (IRCTC) web portal or mobile app.
Do passengers pay for the insurance cover?
The insurance cove costs 45 paise per passenger, inclusive of taxes, and is currently unavailable for tickets booked at railway counters.
However, the premium payable for counter bookings is yet to be confirmed and may differ from the online rate.
The final process for issuing insurance certificates, identifying insured passengers and handling claims for counter-booked tickets will also depend on the mechanism implemented by the authorities.
“Making insurance mandatory for all train travellers is a welcome step towards strengthening passenger safety and financial protection in India. The Supreme Court 's decision strengthens the importance of travel insurance and recognises it as an essential safeguard rather than an optional add-on," said Manas Kapoor, Business Head of Travel Insurance at Policybazaar.
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