\n<\/p>\n
The figures, compiled from responses to Right to Information (RTI) applications, indicate that linen theft increased by 56% between 2022 and 2025.<\/p>\n
The data shows that the scale of the problem remains relatively small compared with the millions of linen pieces distributed to passengers every day. The losses have created an additional financial burden for contractors responsible for supplying and managing bedrolls on trains.<\/p>\n
Face towels accounted for the largest share of missing linen, with around 46.54 lakh pieces reported stolen during the period of four years. They were followed by 41.13 lakh bedsheets, 23.59 lakh pillow covers, 12.95 lakh blankets and 2.76 lakh pillows.<\/p>\n The figures were obtained from 54 railway divisions across 16 of the 18 zones covered by the RTI exercise. Some divisions provided only partial information, meaning the actual number of missing items could be higher.<\/p>\n Bikaner records highest linen loss<\/strong><\/p>\n The Bikaner division recorded the highest number of missing linen items, with around 25.76 lakh pieces reported stolen. It was 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).<\/p>\n Overall, 10 divisions across seven zones accounted for 67% of the reported theft. These include Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaipur in Rajasthan, along with Ranchi, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Sonpur and Danapur in Bihar and Bilaspur.<\/p>\n What passengers take most<\/strong><\/p>\n In Bikaner, bedsheets were the most commonly stolen item, with 12.42 lakh pieces missing, nearly half of the division’s total.<\/p>\n Towels topped the list in Delhi, Ranchi, Mumbai, Danapur, Ahmedabad and Jaipur, while pillow covers led in Sonpur and Bilaspur.<\/p>\n Jodhpur reported the highest theft of blankets, with over 3.4 lakh pieces missing.<\/p>\n Bikaner sees four-fold rise<\/strong><\/p>\n Bikaner’s linen theft jumped from 2.99 lak<\/a>h items in 2022 to 12.34 lakh, marking more than a four-fold rise. Sonpur also saw a sharp increase, from 36,448 to 3.01 lakh items. Danapur recorded a 91% increase, while Dhanbad also saw theft rise by 91%. Ranchi reported a 45% increase and Jodhpur a 46% rise.<\/p>\n Delhi, Ahmedabad among divisions reporting decline<\/strong><\/p>\n Not every division followed the upward trend. Delhi recorded one of the steepest falls in linen theft. Reported cases dropped from around 3.27 lakh items to 68,013, a decline of 79%. Ahmedabad and Samastipur also recorded significant declines of 83% and 86%, respectively.<\/p>\n Two southern divisions \u2014 Tiruchirappalli and Palakkad \u2014 reported no linen theft during the period covered by the RTI data. The Adra division of South Eastern Railway also reported no theft, although it does not operate AC passenger trains.<\/p>\n Linen theft costs contractors over \u20b9104 Crore<\/strong><\/p>\n The missing linen has also translated into a substantial financial burden. The RTI data indicates that contractors incurred an estimated \u20b9104.51 crore in losses over the four-year period.<\/p>\n Railway contractors are responsible for supplying and distributing bedrolls in AC coaches. When linen goes missing, the cost is recovered from the contractors, who may subsequently deduct the amount from the wages of attendants responsible for the coaches.<\/p>\n A railway spokesperson said linen is generally collected from coaches after passengers get off and that the agency responsible for distribution is accountable for any shortage. The Railways<\/a> also said that the theft problem requires additional linen sets to be arranged to make up for the shortfall.<\/p>\n The financial consequences can extend to workers employed as coach attendants. Contractors told The Indian Express that deductions for missing items can significantly reduce attendants’ earnings in most cases.<\/p>\n Railways steps up measures to check theft<\/strong><\/p>\n The Railways said it is taking several steps to reduce linen theft, including CCTV surveillance, counselling and sensitisation of bedroll attendants, police verification of contractual staff and the use of the Coach Mitra app to monitor linen distribution. Some divisions have also deployed dedicated AC coach attendants to improve monitoring.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Towels most frequently stolen<\/strong><\/p>\n