Rail passengers can opt for travel insurance from Sept

NEW DELHI: In what emerges as a business opportunity for insurance companies and a chance for the public transporter to increase earnings from fares, the Railways have decided to offer an “optional” travel insurance cover on a premium of `1 per ticket from September.

The scheme is initially being offered to passengers who purchase e-tickets from the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website. On an average, six lakh e-tickets are purchased each day.

In case most e-ticket passengers opt for the scheme, insurance companies can expect to generate annual revenues of approximately `20 crore in the initial phase. If the scheme is extended to all the 1.2 million railway passengers, the business will become more attractive. HTC