More than 4 lakh train passengers opt for insurance cover

New Delhi: A day after the train travel insurance facility was launched, more than 4 lakh passengers have opted for the scheme till this evening making the passenger-friendly initiative a hit.

Railways has launched the insurance facility as an optional scheme allowing a person to get an insurance cover of upto Rs 10 lakh on booking a train ticket online by paying just 92 paisa.

The scheme was launched at 2.45 PM yesterday and total 4,03,335 passengers have availed the facility by 4 PM (today), said a senior Railway Ministry official.

A person booking a train ticket through the IRCTC website will be able to opt for travel insurance cover for a premium of 92 paise only.

The scheme has got a very good response as total 81750 passengers opted for within four hours of the launch yesterday, the official said.

The new facility as part of the budget promise, is available to all passengers, excluding those travelling by suburban trains while booking online irrespective of the class.

The scheme offers travellers/nominees/legal heirs a compensation of Rs 10 lakh in the event of death or total disabilty, Rs 7.5 lakh for partial disability, upto Rs 2 lakh for hospitalisation expenses and Rs 10,000 for transportation of mortal remains from the place of a train accident or where an untoward incident, including terrorist attack, dacoity, rioting, shootout or arson, occurs.

The cover will not be applicable for children upto 5 years of age and foreign citizens. It will be for passengers holding tickets such as confirmed, RAC and wait-listed ones.

The scheme is being implemented by IRCTC in partnership with ICICI Lombard General Insurance, Royal Sundaram General Insurance and Shriram General Insurance selected through a bidding process. A total of 19 companies had participated in the bidding process and 17 were found eligible.

The three selected insurance companies will get to issue the insurance policy on a rotational basis through an automated system.