1.27 crore railway bedroll items stolen from AC coaches since 2022: Report

More than 1.27 crore linen items, including bedsheets, towels, blankets and pillows, went missing from air-conditioned coaches of Indian Railways between January 2022 and May 2026, according to a report by The Indian Express.

The findings were based on replies received under the Right to Information Act from 54 of the 69 railway divisions across 16 of the 18 railway zones. Some divisions, however, provided only partial information.

According to the report, at least 1.27 crore bedroll items were reported stolen after bedroll services resumed following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The newspaper said the data suggested that roughly one in every 1,000 AC passengers walked away with at least one linen item.

The RTI data estimated losses to bedroll contractors at about ₹104.51 crore during the period.

The newspaper, however, pointed out that the actual figure could be higher as nine divisions did not provide the cost of missing items while 14 divisions did not furnish complete data for all linen categories.

Face towels accounted for the largest share of the missing items at 46.54 lakh, followed by 41.13 lakh bedsheets, 23.59 lakh pillow covers, 12.95 lakh blankets and 2.76 lakh pillows, according to the report.

The newspaper said 10 railway divisions across seven zones accounted for about 67% of the reported linen thefts. Bikaner division topped the list with 25.76 lakh missing 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).

The report said towels were the most stolen item in several divisions, including Delhi, Ranchi, Mumbai, Danapur, Ahmedabad and Jaipur, while bedsheets topped the list in Bikaner.

Blanket thefts were the highest in Jodhpur, and pillow covers were the most frequently stolen items in Sonpur and Bilaspur divisions.

According to the report, Bikaner also recorded the sharpest rise in linen thefts since 2022, with the number of missing items increasing from 2.99 lakh to 12.34 lakh.

Delhi, on the other hand, reported a 79% decline in linen thefts during the period, while Ahmedabad and Samastipur also recorded sharp reductions.

Tiruchirappalli and Palakkad divisions reported no linen thefts.

A Ministry of Railways spokesperson described linen theft as a matter of "serious concern" and said efforts were being made to prevent such incidents and take action against offenders. The spokesperson said there was no evidence to establish staff collusion in the thefts.