The railways will not provide free travel insurance to its passengers starting September 1, an official said on Saturday. A senior railway ministry official said that the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation or IRCTC has decided to stop free travel insurance starting September 1 and "free insurance will be optional".
Travellers while booking tickets through its website or mobile application will have to choose from two options: to opt-in or opt-out of travel insurance.
He said that in a bid to promote digital transaction, the IRCTC has been giving free travel insurance to passengers since December 2017.
The railways had earlier also waived off ticket-booking charge for users who make payments via debit cards.
The insurance provided by the IRCTC had a maximum cover of Rs 10 lakh in case of a person's death during a train journey, Rs 7.5 lakh if a person is disabled due to an accident, Rs 2 lakh if injured and Rs 10,000 for transportation of mortal remains.
The order to charge for the travel insurance will be generated in a few days. However, the amount has not been disclosed yet.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
