Every journey on an air-conditioned (AC) coach offers a neatly packed linen bedroll, consisting of two bedsheets, a pillow, a pillow cover, and a face towel. But roughly one in every 1,000 passengers walks
away with at least one item, resulting in a quiet yet persistent loss for the Indian Railways.
According to The Indian Express, citing an investigation, from January 2022 –– when bedroll services resumed fully following the Covid-19 pandemic –– to May 2026, at least 1.27 crore bedroll pieces were reported stolen, most prominently by passengers.
The aforementioned data reflects a 56 per cent increase in such thefts from 2022 to 2025, The Indian Express reported. The revelation followed a Right To Information (RTI) application by the outlet with all 69 divisions of the Indian Railways. Responses were received from 54 divisions across 16 of 18 Railway zones.
When measured against the massive scale of what the Railways provides every single day, the data looks quite trivial. However, one cannot neglect the fact that the theft speaks volumes about passenger behavior as well as their attitude towards civic responsibility and shared resources.
According to the RTI data, as cited by The Indian Express, the theft has cost bedroll contractors approximately Rs 104.51 crore during the four-year period.
A Railway official acknowledged the matter as a “serious concern”, while also asserting that efforts were being made to curb linen theft and take action those who indulge in such acts.
Passengers Have Picked A Favourite Item
Passengers seem to have picked a clear favourite item –– the face towel. Easy to slide into a bag, it topped the list of the most commonly stolen items. 46.54 lakh towels were stolen in four years. followed by 41.13 lakh bedsheets, 23.59 lakh pillow covers, and 12.95 lakh blankets.
Pillows –– as it can make a bag look stuffed and heavy –– were the least stolen item, with only 2.76 lakh reported to be stolen over the four-year period.
According to The Indian Express, citing RTI replies, while the Bikaner division reported 25.76 lakh stolen linen items, Ranchi stood at 9.31 lakh –– the two worst-hit zones. Next in line stands Delhi with 8.21 lakh, followed by Mumbai with 8.17 lakh, Jodhpur with 8.09 lakh, and Ahmedabad with 6.94 lakh.
A Railway spokesperson spoke to the outlet about the challenges associated with the persistent theft of linen bedrolls by passengers. According to the person, the responsibility of account of linen in coaches lies with the agency who was entrusted with linen distribution. In case of shortage, the burden of cost-recovery falls on the agency. “Due to theft of linen, additional linen sets are required to meet the shortfall”, the official said.
