Over 1.27 crore linen items stolen from Indian Railways AC coaches in 4 years: RTI data
Every night, about 8 lakh AC passengers across the Indian Railways network receive bedrolls comprising two bedsheets, a blanket, a pillow, a pillow cover, and a face towel as part of their ticket service. However, a Right to Information (RTI) investigation by The Indian Express reveals that a small fraction of passengers—approximately one in every 1,000—walk away with at least one item from the bedroll.
The newspaper filed RTI applications with all 69 divisions of Indian Railways. Responses were obtained from 54 divisions across 16 of the 18 railway zones, with some providing partial information. The data shows that from January 2022, when bedroll services fully resumed after the pandemic, to May 2025, at least 1.27 crore bedroll pieces were stolen, primarily by passengers, officials said. The annual data indicates a 56% increase in such thefts from 2022 to 2025.
The theft has cost bedroll contractors an estimated Rs 104.51 crore over the four-year period, according to the RTI data. Coach attendants employed by contractors often have these losses deducted from their salaries. A Ministry of Railways spokesperson termed the issue a “serious concern” and said efforts are being made to prevent linen theft and take action against offenders. The spokesperson also stated that the Railways “cannot establish” any evidence of staff collusion.
The data highlights that 10 divisions across seven zones account for 67% of the overall theft. These include Bikaner, Jodhpur, and Jaipur (Rajasthan); Ranchi; Delhi; Mumbai; Ahmedabad; Sonpur and Danapur (Bihar); and Bilaspur. Towels are the most stolen item—46.54 lakh pieces—followed by bedsheets (41.13 lakh), pillow covers (23.59 lakh), blankets (12.95 lakh), and pillows (2.76 lakh).
Bikaner division reported the highest volume of theft with 25.76 lakh items, followed by Ranchi (9.31 lakh), Delhi (8.21 lakh), Mumbai (8.17 lakh), Jodhpur (8.09 lakh), Ahmedabad (6.94 lakh), and Danapur (5.72 lakh). In Bikaner, bedsheets accounted for nearly half of all stolen items, while towels were predominant in most other divisions. Blankets were the primary targets in Jodhpur, with over 3.4 lakh taken.
The trend shows that thefts have spiked significantly in some divisions. Bikaner saw a rise from 2.99 lakh items in 2022 to 12.34 lakh in 2025, while Sonpur increased from 36,448 to 3.01 lakh items over the same period.
These numbers, while a fraction of the total bedrolls distributed daily, reflect passenger behaviour and pose challenges for railway operations and contractor finances.
