In line with a Supreme Court directive, the Railways will implement this system starting October 27This initiative is designed to ensure counter ticket holders receive the same level of security during their journeys.
Published: October 14, 2026, 7:46 PM IST
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Indian Railways will have to insure all train tickets from October 27Representational Image
Millions of rail passengers got some welcome news from the Supreme CourtUntil now, people buying tickets online got travel insurance coverage while those standing in line at the counter did notThe court has told Indian Railways to fix that and extend the same cover to counter tickets.
What is the court’s direction?
The Railways has until October 27 to get this system running, the Supreme Court has saidThe goal is simple: someone who buys a ticket at the counter should be just as covered on the journey as someone who booked online.
So far, insurance came only with tickets booked online on IRCTCAnyone who queued at a railway counter missed out, and that group includes many villagers, older people, labourers and others who don’t have a smartphone or aren’t comfortable with digital platformsThe Supreme Court has now said that a passenger’s life and safety can’t be valued differently depending on how the ticket was bought.
If something goes wrong on a journey, the family of a passenger with a counter ticket can now claim insurance and compensation, just as the family of an online ticket holder can.
What are the changes in railway and PRS software
To comply with the Supreme Court’s directive, Indian Railways and the PRS will have to change their software and ticketing systemsCounter buyers will then be able to choose insurance when they book, just as online buyers canFor the millions of people who still stand in long lines for counter tickets, that is a real safeguard.
Back on May 11, the Centre told the court it had already decided to offer insurance on offline tickets and was sorting out how to do itThe bench pointed out that nothing has been heard from the government on this since.
