The Government of India has introduced an optional train travel insurance scheme for all passengers who book their tickets through the IRCTC portal. The insurance option can be selected only if the status of your tickets is confirmed, waitlisted or RAC (reservation against cancellation). Once the ticket is booked, the option is no longer available.
Rules and Conditions for IRCTC Train Insurance
The main benefits of travel insurance include a sense of security that any financial losses arising from an accident or mishap will be taken care of. Before you choose travel insurance, here are a few things you must know:
The option of train travel insurance is available only to Indian citizens.
IRCTC travel insurance is applicable to all the tickets booked under a single PNR (personal name record).
The insurance is not available to children below five years of age for whom a separate seat has not been booked.
Travel insurance plan for rail passengers offers coverage of up to ₹10 lakhs for death and permanent disability due to an accident or mishap during the trip duration.
IRCTC web portal provides the option to choose insurance. However, the train travel insurance is provided by any one of the insurance providers with whom the Indian Railways has partnered.
All communication related to the IRCTC travel insurance policy and claims need to be made with the insurance provider and not IRCTC.
The coverage is applicable only for the duration of the trip and is subject to the passenger actually boarding the train.
Steps for Getting IRCTC Travel Insurance
Let us look at the steps involved in getting a travel insurance plan for rail passengers:
Login to the IRCTC Website - Once you log in to your IRCTC account, you need to check the ticket availability for your journey. After viewing the available options, you can choose the train that you wish to buy tickets for and check for the availability of seats. If the portal shows confirmed availability or a waitlist or RAC tickets, you can go ahead and make your purchase.
Fill Your Details for Ticket Booking - During the process of filling in your personal details to generate a PNR, you will see a box for travel insurance. You need to tick the box if you wish to get travel insurance.
Making the Payment - If you have ticked the box for travel insurance, the premium payment of 35 paise per passenger will be added to your ticket price. However, in case you forget to tick the option and book your tickets, you will not get insurance coverage.
Visit the Insurance Provider’s Site - Along with the details of your tickets, IRCTC will provide you with the link to the insurer offering the coverage for your train journey. Visit the insurer’s website and fill in the required details, including the name of the nominees for claiming the insurance amount in case of a mishap or accident. If you fail to provide the name of a nominee, the claim amount is given to the legal heir of the passenger.
IRCTC travel insurance can be opted for only when booking your e-tickets. Do check the eligibility and exclusions before purchasing train travel insurance.
