Odisha tragedy: Only 30% opted for world's cheapest travel insurance

Railways' plan, costing just 35 paise per passenger, offers a cover of up to Rs 10 lakh

The Indian Railways offers probably the world’s cheapest travel insurance plan — at just 35 paise per passenger — providing a cover of up to Rs 10 lakh. Despite this, less than half of the passengers choose to avail it, officials say.

The recent Odisha train tragedy, which claimed nearly 300 lives, brought into focus the lack of awareness among passengers about the ultra-low-cost insurance.

Data accessed by Business Standard from sources in the railways and insurance companies indicates that only 680 of the 2,296 ‘reserved’ passengers in the two passenger trains involved in the deadly accident, or just about 30 per