Every day, millions of passengers travel in Indian Railways’ AC coaches, using the bedsheets, blankets, pillows and towels provided with their tickets. But a new RTI investigation has uncovered a surprising trend: over 1.27 crore linen items have gone missing from trains in just four years, costing contractors more than ₹104 crore and prompting Railways to tighten monitoring across the country.
The data, collected from railway divisions across the country, shows that the problem has steadily grown since bedroll services resumed after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Millions of Passengers Use Railway Linen Every Night
Every night, nearly eight lakh passengers travelling in AC coaches receive a linen kit with their ticket. The kit usually includes two bedsheets, a blanket, a pillow, a pillow cover and a face towel. However, railway records suggest that around one in every 1,000 passengers leaves the train with at least one of these items.
The figures came to light after RTI applications were filed with all 69 divisions of Indian Railways. Responses were received from 54 divisions spread across 16 of India’s 18 railway zones, while some divisions shared only partial information.
More Than 1.27 Crore Items Missing Since 2022
According to the RTI data, from January 2022, when bedroll services fully resumed after the pandemic, to May 2026, at least 1.27 crore linen items were reported missing. The number of missing items has increased every year:
2022: 24.83 lakh items
2023: 29.67 lakh items
2024: 31.31 lakh items
2025: 38.81 lakh items
2026 (up to May): 2.31 lakh items
The data also shows a 56% increase in such thefts between 2022 and 2025.
Towels and Bedsheets Top the List
Among all missing items, towels were stolen the most. The RTI data shows the following items went missing:
Towels: 46.54 lakh
Bedsheets: 41.13 lakh
Pillow Covers: 23.59 lakh
Blankets: 12.95 lakh
Pillows: 2.76 lakh
Different railway divisions also reported different patterns. Bedsheets were most frequently reported missing in Bikaner, towels in Delhi, pillow covers in Sonpur, and blankets in Jodhpur.
Financial Loss Runs Into Hundreds of Crores
The missing linen has caused a major financial burden on bedroll contractors. The RTI data estimates that contractors have suffered losses of around Rs 104.51 crore during the four-year period. According to reports, these losses are generally recovered from the salaries of coach attendants employed by the contractors.
Although the total number of stolen items is small compared to the nearly eight lakh linen sets distributed every day, railway officials believe the trend reflects poor passenger behaviour and remains a serious concern.
Railways Calls It a Serious Issue
The Ministry of Railways has acknowledged that linen theft is a matter of serious concern. Officials said efforts are being made to prevent theft and take action against those responsible. The ministry also said it cannot completely rule out the possibility of staff involvement in some cases.
A review of the RTI data found that 10 railway divisions across seven zones accounted for nearly 67% of all missing linen items, including divisions such as Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Ranchi and Delhi.
Railways Plans New Measures to Prevent Theft
To reduce theft, railway divisions have introduced several measures. These include:
Counselling bedroll attendants.
Monitoring linen through CCTV cameras.
Using the Coach Mitra mobile application to track linen distribution.
Instructing staff to stay alert during duty hours.
Ensuring used linen is collected quickly after passengers vacate their berths.
Conducting awareness and sensitisation programmes for railway staff.
Railway authorities hope these steps will reduce losses and improve passenger responsibility, while ensuring that clean linen remains available for travellers using AC coaches across the country.
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