Railway passengers buying tickets at station counters must be offered the same accident insurance option as IRCTC users, with the Supreme Court warning the Railway Board it will be held accountable for delays.
Indian Railways has been told to extend accident insurance to passengers who buy tickets at station counters, ending a long-standing gap between offline and online bookings. According to reporting in The Times of Bengal and other Indian publications, the system must be in place by October 27, with counter-ticket holders to receive the same basic protection already available to travellers who book through IRCTC.
The move is intended to remove a disparity that has affected millions of passengers who still rely on reservation counters, including many in rural areas, older people and labourers who may not use smartphones or digital payment systems. Until now, the insurance option was largely tied to online ticket purchases, leaving passengers buying in person without the same cover if an accident occurred during travel.
The Supreme Court has linked the order to broader concerns about railway safety and implementation delays. According to Business Standard and The Indian Express, the bench hearing the matter expressed frustration over the slow pace of progress on measures such as the Kavach train protection system, fencing along tracks and foot overbridges. The case stems from a plea filed after the June 2023 Odisha train accident, which renewed scrutiny of safety gaps on the network.
The court has also warned that the Railway Board will be held directly accountable if the directions are not carried out on time. Reports say the government had earlier told the court it intended to introduce insurance for offline tickets, but the judges noted that little had been done since then. The practical challenge now falls to the Railways and the passenger reservation system, which will need software changes so counter buyers can opt in at the point of booking, just as online passengers already do.
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