The Supreme Court has issued a strict directive ordering Indian Railways to extend travel insurance coverage to all train tickets purchased physically at station reservation counters, effective October 27.

Previously, automatic travel insurance options were primarily tied to online ticket bookings via IRCTC, leaving millions of economically disadvantaged passengers who rely on physical counters without equivalent safety nets.

Emphasizing that this disparity is unjustifiable, a bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan ruled that offline tickets must be brought completely on par with online bookings.

The court granted authorities a two-week window to establish a foolproof implementation mechanism.

It sternly warned that failure to operationalize the mandate by the October 27 deadline will place direct, personal legal responsibility squarely upon the Railway Board.

While deferring immediate summons against top railway officials pending an affidavit on safety compliance, the bench scheduled the next hearing for November 16.

This landmark ruling ensures standardized financial protection for every train passenger, regardless of their booking method.