The Supreme Court has directed Indian Railways to extend insurance coverage to tickets purchased over the counter at all railway stations from October 27, 2026. The bench warned that the Railway Board would be held directly responsible for any failure to implement the order, aiming to extend the protection already available to passengers booking tickets online.
The October 6 directive came during a hearing on a petition filed following the June 2023 Odisha train accident. The plea sought an inquiry into the crash, which the petitioner attributed to the non-implementation of the Kavach train protection system, and called for its expedited deployment across the railway network. The court subsequently expanded the matter to cover other passenger safety concerns, including foot overbridges, track fencing and insurance coverage.
During earlier hearings, the court had raised concerns over railway safety spending and the implementation of measures intended to prevent accidents. On May 11, the Centre informed the bench that a decision had been taken to extend insurance to offline ticket purchases and that the necessary arrangements were being worked out.
At the October 6 hearing, Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan expressed disappointment with the Ministry of Railways, observing that assurances about safety improvements had not translated into substantial progress on the ground. The bench also raised concerns over the utilisation of budgetary allocations for safety measures and initially directed the Chairman and members of the Railway Board to appear personally before it.
Additional Solicitor General Vikramjeet Banerjee sought a final opportunity to submit an affidavit detailing the work undertaken during the previous year and explaining delays in meeting targets, particularly regarding track fencing. The court accepted the request and put its order summoning Railway Board officials on hold. It also directed the Railways to submit details of special initiatives, financial commitments and actual progress on key safety measures within two months.
On passenger insurance, the court said sufficient time had already been given to develop a mechanism covering economically disadvantaged travellers who commonly purchase tickets at reservation counters. It ordered that all tickets sold over the counter from October 27 must receive insurance coverage in the same manner as online tickets. The matter is scheduled to be heard next on November 16, 2026.