Things to Know About Travel Insurance for Indian Railways

Why Opt for IRCTC Travel Insurance?

Be it a family vacation or college budget trip, we have all have travelled via trains at least once in our lives. Spread over 110,000 km, the Indian railway is the largest rail network in Asia and only the second largest in the world. Railway journeys are among the most reliable and accessible forms of transportation in India. They are cheap, comfortable and often a start to great adventures. However, we also have a fair share of some bad moments, such as infamous delays and accidents.

While people generally ignore insuring their domestic trips, we all have heard about several heartbreaking railway accidents. As per the NCRB's 2020 report on railway accidents, more than 13,000 train accidents that took place in 2020 killed over 12,000 passengers. Keep in mind that these figures are from 2020 when only 45% of trains were operating due to the lockdown.

It’s clear from the numbers that railway accidents in India are not that uncommon, in such a case what can you do? A number of people get caught up in these unfortunate accidents and end up injured, disabled or worse - dead. The only thing anyone can do for such situations is to be prepared and ensure that these people or their loved ones will have a helping hand during such difficulties.

IRCTC has been offering optional travel insurance policy to all its passengers while booking tickets online. Costing only 0.35 rupees, this insurance provides uniform coverage to all the classes of the train with a sum insured up to Rs. 10 lakhs in case of death. Take a look at all the benefits of this insurance plan:

• Up to Rs. 10,00,000 in case of death and permanent total disability
• Up to Rs. 7,50,000 in the case of permanent partial disability
• Up to Rs. 2,00,000 for hospitalisation expenses due to injury
• Up to Rs. 10,000 for transportation of mortal remains

The insurance covers several untoward incidents such as terrorist and disruptive attacks, robbery or dacoity, rioting, accidental falling of any passenger etc. However, it is best to read the term and conditions available while booking your ticket to make sure you know all that it offers or does not offer.

Eligibility for IRCTC Railway Travel Insurance

Any Indian passenger can avail of this train travel insurance while booking their ticket. However, this option can be selected only they are booking it through IRCTC's official website or the IRCTC mobile application.

Another thing to remember is that foreigners and children below 5 years of age are not eligible for this insurance. Only Indian citizens can avail themselves of this benefit. Once you select the option and pay for the ticket, you will get a confirmation message on your phone as well as the registered email IDs. Further, the insurance companies will also provide a link to file for nomination details.

Keep in mind that no cancellation is allowed, nor is the premium refundable. The policy will be extended to all the bookings made under a single PNR if the insurance option is selected.

How to Claim IRCTC Insurance?

Unfortunately, if your train gets into an accident or you're in a situation where you can claim damages, you can get in touch with the respective insurance company. As of now, there are three insurance companies providing rail insurance while booking your tickets through the IRCTC app or website.

Make sure to get in touch with the insurer so that settlement can be made quickly. In case the nomination details are not filled, then it shall be settled with the legal heirs in case a claim arises.

Things to Know Before Buying IRCTC Insurance

In less than a rupee, people can insure their railway trips in case of a dreadful accident. All this can be done from the comfort of your home without wasting any time selecting or comparing plans.

With the benefits it offers, this is certainly one of the cheapest travel insurance plans. However, there are certain shortcomings you should be aware of:

• This benefit is only available while booking a railway ticket through the IRCTC website or the app. This means people who buy the ticket in person or with no access to smartphones or the internet can't buy this insurance.
• Another drawback is that only Indian citizens can benefit from this feature, any foreigner working or living in India can't use this feature.
• The insurance only offers coverage for death, disability, and injuries caused by the train accident; other contingencies like baggage loss, train delay, personal liability, etc. are not covered.
• The benefits offered by IRCTC travel insurer is through two or three insurance companies; this means there is no freedom to choose the policy or insurer you want to go for.
• Moreover, there is no insurance benefit for kids below 5 years of age whereas most domestic travel insurance plans offer coverage benefits to children as young as 6 months.

While this feature is certainly a great way to encourage Indians to buy insurance, the benefits only cover extreme cases such as death, disability or injuries. Many other common contingencies such as train delays, missed train departures, loss of tickets, accommodation charges due to the train’s delay etc. are not included in this insurance. For those who want extra benefits, there are many other online travel insurance plans to choose from.

Over to You,

For less than a rupee, this travel insurance is certainly one of the right and most affordable online travel insurance plans in India. However, if you want proper coverage with extensive benefits in case of other emergencies while your train travel then it is good to opt for a domestic travel insurance policy.