Indian Railways Combats Linen Theft with Counselling, CCTV, and Coach Mitra App
Indian Railways divisions have implemented a range of measures to address the theft of linen items from AC coaches, including counselling bedroll attendants, installing CCTV cameras, and using the Coach Mitra mobile application. This information was revealed through RTI replies obtained by The Indian Express.
According to the RTI replies, a total of 1.27 crore linen items—blankets, pillows, pillow covers, bedsheets, and towels—were reported stolen from trains between 2022 and May 2026 across 54 divisions of 16 zones.
The primary response across divisions has been to counsel bedroll attendants, instructing them to remain vigilant, monitor linen closely, and ensure prompt collection. In a September 2015 letter, the Railway Board had directed that linen distribution staff advise passengers to return used linen at least 30 minutes before deboarding. The board also called for monitoring repeat defaulters and imposing suitable counselling, training, or penalties.
In the Bikaner division of North Western Railway, which recorded the highest theft among all divisions, attendants use the Coach Mitra app to track boarding and deboarding activities and record the issuance and collection of linen. The Waltair division of East Coast Railway reported imposing penalties on contractors for missing items. The Bhusaval Railway Protection Force of Central Railway stated that under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, theft of railway towels, bedsheets, or blankets is a non-bailable offence, and RPF personnel are authorized to conduct lawful searches of suspicious passengers' luggage within the coach.
The Ambala division of Northern Railway noted that CCTVs are being installed in coaches to deter theft, while South Western Railway deploys one staff member per coach for linen distribution. The Salem division of Southern Railway emphasized strengthening monitoring during loading and unloading, conducting periodic checks, and initiating disciplinary action against those responsible.
The Kota division of West Central Railway said it conducts police verification of contractors' employees to curb theft. The cost of lost items is recovered from the contractor’s bill, who in turn recovers the amount from the bedroll attendants deployed in the coaches.
