🚄 Infrastructure & Energy / Railways, Roads & Aviation

Railways extends 45-paise optional travel insurance to counter (PRS) tickets from 27 October after SC order

📅 24 October 2026 📍 India Important

On 24 October 2026, the Railway Board directed all zones to offer the Optional Travel Insurance Scheme on reserved tickets booked at PRS counters from 27 October, at 45 paise per passenger, following a Supreme Court order.

Summary

The Railway Board on 24 October 2026 directed all zonal railways to offer the Optional Travel Insurance Scheme (OTIS) on reserved tickets booked at Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters from 27 October. Until now, the cover was available only on reserved e-tickets booked online. The step follows a Supreme Court order dated 6 October. The premium is 45 paise per passenger, inclusive of taxes, payable only digitally, and a mobile number is mandatory; the scheme is for Indian citizens with confirmed, RAC or partly confirmed tickets. Compensation ranges from ₹10,000 to ₹10 lakh for death, disability, injury hospitalisation and transport of mortal remains in a railway accident.

Key facts

Scheme: Optional Travel Insurance Scheme (OTIS), IRCTC terms
Change: Extended from e-tickets to PRS counter tickets
Effective: 27 October 2026
Directive: Railway Board, 24 October 2026
Trigger: Supreme Court order dated 6 October 2026
Premium: 45 paise per passenger (incl. taxes), digital payment only
Eligibility: Indian citizens; confirmed, RAC, partly confirmed tickets
Cover: ₹10,000 to ₹10 lakh (death, disability, hospitalisation, mortal remains)

Practice MCQs 2 questions

From 27 October 2026, the Railways' Optional Travel Insurance Scheme, extended to counter tickets, charges what premium per passenger?

Show answer

Correct answer: C — 45 paise

The premium is 45 paise per passenger, inclusive of all taxes, the same as for e-tickets, and must be paid digitally.

Q2 Advanced

Consider the following statements about the extension of the Railways' Optional Travel Insurance Scheme to PRS counter tickets (October 2026): 1. The premium can be paid in cash at the counter. 2. The extension followed an order of the Supreme Court. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Show answer

Correct answer: B — 2 only

Statement 1 is wrong: the premium must be collected through digital means only. Statement 2 is correct: the Railway Board acted on a Supreme Court order dated 6 October 2026.