Indian Railways: The Coromandel Express and Bangalore Howrah Superfast Express collided in Balasore, Odisha. Two passenger trains and a goods train collided at the same time. In this horrific accident that occurred in Odisha, 260 people lost their lives, and over 900 people were injured. Learning from this tragic incident, the Indian Railways has introduced a new facility for its passengers. Under this new arrangement, passengers will receive insurance coverage as soon as they book their tickets, and the cost for this coverage will be minimal.
Previously, travelers had the option to purchase travel insurance before booking their train tickets. By paying just 35 paisa (Indian currency) per ticket, passengers could avail insurance coverage of up to 1 million rupees. However, this insurance coverage was optional. Now, the Railway has made it mandatory, and passengers will automatically receive insurance coverage when booking their tickets through IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation).
Under this new facility, the Railway provides insurance coverage of up to 1 million rupees in case of any mishap during the journey. The cost for this coverage is only 35 paisa. Previously, the choice to opt for personal accident insurance coverage was left to the passengers, but now it has been made automatic. Passengers do not need to choose this option separately; it will be included automatically with their ticket booking.
It’s worth noting that after the Balasore accident, many passengers who had not opted for this insurance coverage regretted not having it. Hence, the Railway has now made this facility automatic to ensure the well-being of its passengers.
Additionally, it’s important to mention that a life insurance cover of up to 500,000 rupees is available for free on debit cards. Passengers can claim the insurance within four months of the railway accident by visiting the offices of the insurance company associated with the travel insurance provided by IRCTC. When purchasing the insurance, passengers should also provide the nominee’s name to avoid any difficulties in claiming the insurance in case of any unfortunate event. The insurance company will pay 1 million rupees in case of an accident during the journey, but the claim amount will vary based on the extent of the loss suffered by the passenger in different accident scenarios.
