Diwali Festival: Big Changes in Railway Ticket Booking System
Passengers purchasing tickets at railway reservation counters will now also receive insurance coverage, similar to those booking tickets online. This move will especially benefit poor and ordinary passengers who rely on counter ticket bookings.
Ahead of the Diwali festival, Indian Railways is set to introduce a major benefit for the general public. Following an order from the Supreme Court, significant changes will be made to the railway ticket booking system. Diwali Festival: Big Changes in Railway Ticket Booking System.
Passengers purchasing tickets at railway reservation counters will now also receive insurance coverage, similar to those booking tickets online. This move will especially benefit poor and ordinary passengers who rely on counter ticket bookings.
The Supreme Court has issued clear directions to Indian Railways to provide insurance coverage for tickets purchased at railway reservation counters, on the same terms as online tickets. The system must be implemented by October 27, 2026. The court has directed the Railways to complete the process within two weeks.
The order was passed by a bench comprising Justice Ehsanuddin Amanullah and Justice R. Mahadevan during the hearing of a case related to passenger safety and accident prevention in trains. At present, railway travel insurance is available only to passengers who opt for it while booking tickets online by paying a small additional premium.
Passengers purchasing tickets at reservation counters, especially those from economically weaker sections, were not covered under this facility. Following the Supreme Court’s order, all passengers will now come under the insurance coverage system.
The system will change from October 27. During an earlier hearing, the Supreme Court had given railway authorities time to develop a mechanism to extend insurance coverage to counter tickets. However, during the October 6 hearing, the court observed that the Railways had failed to take any effective steps.
Therefore, the court has directed that from October 27, every ticket sold at railway reservation counters across the country must include insurance coverage similar to online bookings. The court also warned that failure to implement the order would make the Railway Board directly responsible.
