Supreme Court Orders Insurance for Counter Railway Tickets

The Supreme Court has directed Indian Railways to extend travel insurance coverage to tickets bought at station counters, ordering the change to take effect on October 27, 2026. The order, dated October 6, brings counter bookings under the same terms as online tickets, which are currently the only bookings eligible for the optional cover. The Railway Board will be held responsible if the directive is not implemented, according to the court’s warning as reported in the proceedings. The decision came during a hearing on a petition filed after the June 2023 train accident in Odisha. The petition sought an inquiry into the crash and raised concerns about railway safety. The court expanded its consideration to include insurance for offline ticket buyers, alongside infrastructure and safety issues such as track fencing and the rollout of safety systems. The court said authorities had been given time to devise a way to extend coverage to people buying tickets at reservation counters. The order sets an implementation date, but the reports do not specify the premium, coverage limits, eligibility rules or claims process that will apply to counter-ticket passengers.