Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav. file
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday (August 6, 2025), passengers can avail the alternative travel insurance scheme by purchasing an e-ticket by paying a premium of 45 pisa.
Responding to questions related to rail travel insurance, Vaishnav said that all passengers can book tickets through online mode or through reservation counters; However, alternative travel insurance scheme (OTIS) is available only to those confirmation/RAC passengers who have booked their tickets online.
“Any passenger who wants to take advantage of insurance benefits can opt for the scheme at the time of booking tickets at his own discretion.
He said, “Currently, the premium is ₹ 0.45/- per passenger per passenger per passenger to avail insurance through alternative travel insurance scheme. The passenger opposed the insurance scheme at the time of booking the ticket and pays the premium with rent.”
According to the Railway Minister, the passenger gets the policy information directly from the insurance company on his registered mobile and email ID through SMS, as well as with the link to file enrollment details. In addition, the insurance company is directly responsible for issuing the policy and claiming claims, as the claim liability is between the insured and the insurance company.
He also said that the passenger files a claim directly with the insurance company as per the documents received through email from the insurance company, and filing the claim is a continuous process between the passenger and the insurance company.
Giving details of the total amount distributed to the affected passengers/relatives by the insurance companies under these claims, Mr. Vaishnav said, “During the last 05 years, 333 claims were settled by the insurance companies after the passengers filled the claims of claims and the passengers have been paid a amount of 27.22 crore by the insurance companies.
He said, “The alternative travel insurance scheme is an effective and passenger-friendly scheme. It provides insurance coverage at a lower premium of ₹ 0.45/-, which is cheap and accessible to all passengers booking e-tickets,” he said.
The Railway Minister informed the House that passengers can easily opt-in/opt-out by checking the bus tick box while booking tickets on the IRCTC website or app.
“The process is simple and integrated, no separate application or documentation is required at the time of booking,” he said.
Published – August 06, 2025 04:07 pm IST