Travel Insurance For Train Travellers: Full Steam Ahead

While Air Travel Insurance is popular among the masses, Travel Insurance for train travel is gaining popularity. The Indian Railways has been working towards providing better services. And one of the things done by the government to encourage more travellers to trust The Indian Railways is the launch of Travel Insurance for train travellers. So, just like how you can add Travel Insurance while booking your air tickets online, you can do the same with train tickets.

The government has collaborated with ICICI Lombard General Insurance Co. Ltd., Royal Sundaram and Shriram General Insurance Co. Ltd. to launch the scheme of Travel Insurance for train travellers. Dipankar Acharya, country head, affinity and strategic relationships, Royal Sundaram General Insurance Co. Ltd. said, “The Ministry of Railways announced optional Travel Insurance earlier this month (September 2016), and it seems to have become popular as every second booking—of about 700,000 tickets booked online each day—is opting for the insurance.”

Currently, the Insurance scheme is limited to online bookings made through the IRCTC ticketing portal. While it’s on trial for a year, it may be extended to offline bookings too in the future. Also, it will soon be available for other online modes of booking tickets. Acharya was quoted saying, “We are currently working on the integration of the systems. Once it is complete, this facility will get extended to the railway ticket booking app users as well as to travel agents.”

Additional Reading: Travel Insurance Plans For Globetrotters

Coverage Details

So, let’s take a look at what you get on buying Travel Insurance with your train ticket.

One will receive coverage of additional hospital expenses, apart from the coverage of disability and death. Also, those who opt to buy the Travel Insurance policy will not only receive the insurance cover but also the compensation that the government gives in case of an accident or untoward mishap. The Railway Accidents and Untoward Incidents (Compensation) Amendment Rules, 1997, states that the government gives a compensation of Rs. 4 lakh in case of death and up to Rs. 4 lakh in case of injuries and permanent disabilities.

Filing A Claim

How does one file a claim, you ask? Well, once you opt for Insurance, you have to update the details of a nominee on the insurance company’s website. You will receive the link to the website along with the policy number via SMS. If one fails to update nominee details and something untoward happens, the claim will be settled with the legal heirs of the policy holder. The claim has to be filed within 4 months from the date of the accident. In case of a death claim, one has to submit a report from the railway authorities about the accident and the list of dead passengers.

Additional Reading: Death Claim: Documents Required For A Life Insurance Claim

More Details About The Scheme

If you opt for the Insurance policy, a premium of 92 paise per passenger will be charged. Sanjay Datta, chief, underwriting and claims, ICICI Lombard General Insurance said, “It is a group insurance policy given on an individual basis. The amount will remain the same irrespective of the duration and distance of the journey.” While buying Insurance is optional, once you opt to get it, all passengers under one PNR will be covered. Children below five years of age and suburban trains are not covered under this scheme.

Please note that, under this scheme, accidents and victims are defined according to the sections 123, 124 and 124-A of the Railways Act, 1989. What is an accident? Collison between trains (of which at least one is a passenger train), derailment of train or accident to any part of the train carrying passengers is referred to as an accident. However, Section 124-A states that one cannot claim compensation if a passenger dies or gets injured due to suicide or attempted suicide. Also, self-inflicted injuries, injuries caused due to intoxication or insanity, injuries caused due to ‘adventurous activities’ and natural death, are not covered under this scheme. However, the cover extends to acts of terrorism, robbery, dacoity, shootouts, and arson in passenger trains.

Well, now that you know everything you need to about Travel Insurance for train travel, make sure you pay those extra bucks for your own benefit the next time you plan a train journey. We’d also like to add that while Travel Insurance is a must while travelling, we hope you already have Life Insurance and Health Insurance policies. Why, you ask? A Life Insurance policy will help your loved ones if anything were to happen to you and a Health Insurance policy will help you get the best treatment if you fall ill. Go ahead and explore your options now!