IRCTC Discontinues Refund Policy For Tejas Express, Hikes Insurance Coverage

IRCTC has decided to increase the insurance coverage from Rs two lakh for normal trains to Rs 10 lakh for Tejas in case of death.

Lucknow:Passengers travelling in Tejas Express will no longer be eligible to get refunds for delays during the journey as the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has abolished the mechanism.

However, it has rolled out an insurance policy for the convenience of passengers with an increase in coverage. In the instance of death, Rs 10 lakh will be handed over to the family of the passenger as a solatium.

Tejas Express, which plies between Lucknow and New Delhi, is the first corporate train and is operated by IRCTC. Earlier passengers were eligible to get refunds of Rs 100 if the train delayed the journey time by an hour and Rs 250 for over two hours. There were several instances of refunds due to fog-induced delays.

Officials say already Rs three crore has been paid as refunds to passengers and railways has decided to switch the mechanism to increased insurance coverage in case of death during the journey. This will provide additional security for the next kin of the deceased.

Till now, Tejas Express had the same accidental coverage as other trains of Rs two lakh which is now being hiked five-fold to Rs 10 lakh. Every travel ticket charges 45 paise as a premium for insurance provided by three companies — Liberty General Insurance Limited, Royal Sundaram General Insurance Company and United India Insurance Companies — under IRCTC.

Under the new Policy, Passengers will get:

• Rs 10,00,000 in case of death in an accident.
• Rs 10,00,000 for permanent physical disability.
• Up to Rs 7,50,000 for partial disability.
• Up to Rs 2,00,000 as hospital expenses in case of injury.
• Rs 10,000 as an expense for handling a dead body.

IRCTC chief regional manager Ajit Kumar Sinha said instead of issuing refunds for train delays, IRCTC has increased the premium for the convenience of the passengers.