No more free insurance for train travel, opt out or pay up: Railways

The Indian Railways will not provide free travel insurance to its passengers starting September 1, an official said on Saturday.

A senior Railway Ministry official said that the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has decided to stop free travel insurance starting September 1.

Travellers while booking tickets through its website or mobile application will have to choose from two options: to opt-in or opt-out of travel insurance.

He said that in a bid to promote the digital transaction, the IRCTC has been giving free travel insurance to passengers since December 2017.

The railways had earlier also waived off ticket booking charge for users who make payments via debit cards.

The insurance provided by the IRCTC had a maximum cover of Rs 1 million in case of a person's death during a train journey, Rs 750,000 if a person is disabled due to an accident, Rs 200,000 if injured and Rs 10,000 for transportation of mortal remains.

The order to charge for the travel insurance will be generated in a few days.

However, the amount has not been disclosed yet.