More than 1.27 crore linen items, including bedsheets, blankets, pillows, pillow covers and towels, have been stolen from air-conditioned coaches of Indian Railways between January 2022 and May 2026, according to information obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The RTI data estimates that the thefts have caused losses exceeding INR 104 crore to contractors responsible for supplying linen to AC coaches. The findings also indicate a 56 per cent rise in such thefts during the period.
Indian Railways operates around eight lakh AC passengers every day, and officials estimate that, on average, one out of every 1,000 passengers leaves the train carrying at least one linen item.
Bedsheets accounted for the highest number of stolen items, followed by pillow covers, blankets, pillows and towels. Data collected from 54 railway divisions across 16 railway zones showed that ten divisions together accounted for nearly 67 per cent of all reported linen thefts, with Mumbai among the worst-affected divisions.
The report further stated that while contractors bear the financial losses caused by the thefts, the cost of missing linen is often recovered from the salaries of coach attendants employed by the contractors. Railway authorities said the responsibility for distributing, collecting and accounting for the bedrolls rests with the agencies assigned to provide the linen service.
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