Railway Insurance
Railway Insurance
Key Information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Mandatory Coverage | All reserved (PRS) ticket holders are compulsorily insured under the “Travel Insurance Scheme” at 0% premium since 1 Sept 2018. |
| 2. Implementing Insurer | Scheme is underwritten by “Indian Railway Insurance” (IRI), a captive of IRCTC; ICICI Lombard is the present external insurer for claim processing. |
| 3. Sum Insured | ₹10 lakh for death, ₹10 lakh for permanent total disability, ₹7.5 lakh for permanent partial disability, ₹2 lakh for hospitalisation expenses. |
| 4. Time Limit to Claim | Legal heir must lodge claim within 4 months (120 days) of accident/date of death. |
| 5. Eligible Accidents | Train accident, terrorist attack, dacoity, rioting, shoot-out, arson, short-circuit fire, explosion, robbery while on train or railway premises. |
| 6. Coverage Window | From actual boarding to 2 hours after reaching destination station or leaving railway premises, whichever is earlier. |
| 7. Un-reserved Passengers | UR passengers are NOT covered; only reserved passengers (SL, 2S, 1A, 2A, 3A, CC, EC, etc.) are insured. |
| 8. Ticket Types Covered | e-ticket, i-ticket, counter PRS ticket, ATVM, UTS on-payment (reserved) – all included. |
| 9. Exclusions | Suicide, self-inflicted injury, influence of alcohol/intoxicants, war, nuclear risk, pre-existing disability. |
| 10. Claim Documents | FIR, death certificate / disability certificate, original ticket, bank details of nominee, ID proof. |
| 11. Claim Channel | Online through www.irctc.co.in → “Travel Insurance” tab or toll-free 155299 (IRCTC help-line). |
| 12. Premium Borne By | Indian Railways / IRCTC; passenger pays zero premium. |
| 13. Policy Period | Renewed every year (1 April – 31 March) through open tender; present policy 2024-25. |
| 14. Foreign Citizens | Foreign nationals holding reserved tickets are also covered; claim payable in INR only. |
| 15. Children | Children (above 5 yr) with reserved half ticket are insured; below 5 yr (no ticket) excluded. |
| 16. Benchmark Order | Railway Board’s letter No. 2016/TG-V/16/Insurance dated 31 Aug 2018 made coverage compulsory. |
| 17. Grievance Redressal | If claim is rejected, complain to IRCTC Grievance Portal; further appeal to Railway Board (Insurance section). |
| 18. Earlier Scheme (2016-18) | Optional travel insurance @ ₹0.92 paisa premium; scheme withdrawn after low opt-in. |
Important Points
- Zero-premium, ₹10-lakh accidental death cover for every reserved passenger.
- Coverage starts only after actual boarding—mere booking does not trigger insurance.
- Maximum claim window is 120 days; delay leads to automatic rejection.
- Only reserved class tickets (including suburban season with seat) are insured; general/UTS unreserved tickets stay out.
- Hospitalisation cover of ₹2 lakh is reimbursement basis—original bills compulsory.
- In case of missing person, court-declared death can be accepted after 7 years.
- Nominee need not be the same as in ticket; any legal heir can claim with succession certificate.
- Foreign tourist can claim; KYC must be done through Indian embassy certification.
- Claim amount is exempted under Section 10(10D) of Income-tax—no TDS.
- Policy is renewed annually; insurer name may change but benefits remain same.
- RPF/RPSF personnel on duty are separately covered under “Railway Employees Insurance” — not this scheme.
- Ticket refund (even full) does not invalidate insurance if journey was actually performed.
- Duplicate ticket is acceptable if original lost and FIR lodged before alighting.
- Helpline 155299 is 24×7; keep PNR ready while calling.
- Always retain photocopy of ticket till 4 months after journey—claim can arise later.
Practice MCQs
1. Who bears the premium cost of the compulsory rail-travel insurance introduced in 2018?
Indian Railways / IRCTC (passenger pays zero premium).
2. What is the time limit for legal heirs to lodge a death claim under the scheme?
120 days (4 months) from the date of accident.
Unreserved (UTS) journey ticket.
4. The present external insurer that processes the claims on behalf of IRCTC is:
ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd.
5. A passenger holding an e-ticket dies in a train derailment. What is the maximum death compensation payable?
₹10 lakh.
6. Coverage ceases how long after the passenger reaches the destination?
2 hours after reaching destination or leaving railway premises, whichever is earlier.
Medical fitness certificate of the claimant.
8. Foreign nationals with reserved tickets are:
Fully covered; claim paid in INR.
9. The compulsory travel insurance scheme came into force on:
1 September 2018.
10. Choose the correct statement:
Hospitalisation cover of ₹2 lakh is on reimbursement basis on production of original bills.
BETA
