Railway Travel Insurance — ₹0.49 for ₹10 Lakh Cover

For just 49 paise — less than half a rupee — you can get ₹10 lakh travel insurance on your IRCTC train ticket. It's probably the cheapest insurance product in India. But most people blindly skip it during booking without understanding what it covers.

What It Costs

₹0.49 per passenger per trip. That's it. For a family of 4, the total insurance cost is ₹1.96. You won't find travel insurance cheaper anywhere in the world.

What It Covers

The insurance covers accidents during the train journey:

Event	Coverage Amount
Death due to accident	₹10,00,000 (₹10 lakh)
Permanent total disability	₹10,00,000
Permanent partial disability	₹7,50,000
Hospitalization expenses	₹2,00,000
Transportation of mortal remains	₹10,000

What Counts as an Accident

The insurance covers injuries or death caused by:

• Train derailment


• Train collision


• Fire in the train


• Explosion on the train


• Train falling off a bridge/track


• Acts of terrorism on the train


• Floods, earthquakes affecting the train

What It Does NOT Cover

• Natural death during the journey (not accident-related)
• Illness that occurs during travel
• Theft of belongings
• Trip cancellation
• Delays or missed connections
• Self-inflicted injuries
• Injuries while boarding/alighting the train due to own negligence
• Pre-existing medical conditions

How to Opt In

During IRCTC booking:

1. After entering passenger details and before payment
2. Look for the "Travel Insurance" section
3. Select "Yes" to opt in
4. The ₹0.49 per passenger is added to your total fare
5. That's it — you're covered

By default, IRCTC may have insurance set to "No." You need to actively select "Yes."

How to Claim

If an accident occurs during the journey:

1. Report to Railway authorities — TTE, station master, RPF
2. Get medical treatment — at the nearest hospital
3. File an FIR if applicable (for major accidents)
4. Contact the insurance company mentioned in your ticket details
5. Submit claim documents:

- Copy of e-ticket/PNR - FIR copy (if applicable) - Medical reports and bills - Death certificate (for death claims) - Disability certificate (for disability claims) - KYC documents of the nominee

The claim is processed by the insurance partner (currently ICICI Lombard or similar insurer as designated by IRCTC).

Claim Timeline

• File the claim within 60 days of the incident
• The insurer processes the claim within 30-45 days after receiving all documents
• Payment is made to the nominee or the insured person

Should You Opt In?

Absolutely yes. There's no rational reason to skip ₹0.49 insurance:

• The cost is negligible (literally less than a rupee)
• The coverage is substantial (₹10 lakh for death/disability)
• Train accidents, while rare, do happen in India
• It takes one click during booking

Even if you have other life insurance or health insurance, this railway-specific policy provides additional coverage at zero practical cost.

Common Misconceptions

"It's a scam to collect money": At ₹0.49, IRCTC isn't making significant revenue from this. It's a genuine passenger welfare initiative. "My regular insurance covers train travel": It might, but this is additional coverage at near-zero cost. Why not have both? "Claims are never paid": Claims are processed through reputed insurance companies (ICICI Lombard, etc.). Legitimate claims with proper documentation are paid. "It only covers death": It also covers disability and hospitalization — see the coverage table above.

Insurance Certificate

After booking with insurance, you can download the insurance certificate from:

• IRCTC website > My Transactions > Booked Ticket History > Insurance details


• The email confirmation also contains insurance details

The certificate has: policy number, insurer name, coverage details, nominee information, and claim contact details. Save it — you'll need the policy number if you ever file a claim.

For Group Bookings

If you book 6 passengers, you can opt for insurance for all 6. The total insurance cost is ₹2.94. Each passenger gets individual ₹10 lakh coverage.

The insurance is per passenger, not per PNR. So even if the PNR is cancelled for some passengers, the traveling passengers' insurance remains valid.

At ₹0.49, this is a no-brainer. Always opt in when booking on indianrail.app or IRCTC. It's the cheapest peace of mind you'll ever buy.