Tough measures on table as Railways seeks to curb linen theft in AC coaches

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 15, 2026 05:08 AM IST

Bedroll items laid out for distribution in an Indian Railways AC coach. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)

A day after The Indian Express reported that about 1.27 crore linen items were stolen from AC coaches of the Indian Railways over four years, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw directed officials to come up with a reform to curb such theft.

Turning to top Railway officials at a press conference Tuesday on Railways’ “52 reforms in 52 weeks” initiative, Vaishnaw referred to The Indian Express report and sought a timeline for the issue to be resolved.

The officials responded by seeking two months to formalise a way to fix the issue.

On Monday, The Indian Express reported that between January 2022, when bedroll services had fully resumed after the pandemic, and May 2026, at least 1.27 crore bedroll pieces were stolen from the AC coaches. A linen bedroll consists of two bedsheets, a blanket, a pillow, a pillow cover, and a face towel.

Some tough measures on Rlys table as Vaishnaw seeks to curb linen theft applications filed with all 69 divisions of the Railways. Replies were obtained from 54 divisions across 16 of the 18 Railway zones. The data showed a 56% rise in such thefts from 2022 to 2025.

A compilation of the data shows that 10 divisions across seven zones account for most of the overall linen theft — 67% of the total. (Source: Express Graph)

The investigation also showed that the theft cost bedroll contractors an estimated Rs 104.51 crore over the past four years — money that coach attendants employed by the contractors say is mostly deducted from their salaries.

The Railways is now exploring multiple options to tackle the problem, senior officials told this newspaper Tuesday.

Story continues below this ad

Railways went back to providing bedrolls after Covid. (Express Archive)

Granting the Railway Protection Force (RPF) the power to arrest offenders is one possible measure under consideration, an official said. This will be a part of the Railways’ “52 reforms in 52 weeks”, which was launched at the beginning of the year to make key structural and procedural changes in the national carrier.

“This issue is complex and will require wider consultation. It is difficult to track these passengers. We have to do something to disincentivise it. One way is to grant the RPF the power to arrest such offenders. Along with this, RPF can be asked to search a suspicious passenger’s luggage if the linen is not returned,” the official said.

Under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, theft of railway towels, bedsheets or blankets is a non-bailable offence. In September 2015, the Railway Board had prescribed that linen distribution staff advise passengers to hand over used linen at least 30 minutes before deboarding. It also directed that a watch be kept on regular defaulters with suitable counselling, training and penalties.

Currently, the primary response to curb linen theft across divisions has been to counsel the bedroll attendants to remain vigilant, monitor linen closely, ensure prompt collection, and stay alert during duty hours.

Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with the Business Bureau of The Indian Express. He plays a critical role in covering India's massive infrastructure sectors, providing in-depth reporting on the connectivity lifelines of the nation.

Expertise & Focus Areas: Mishra’s journalism is focused on two of the country's most capital-intensive and public-facing ministries:

Ministry of Railways: Tracking the operations, safety, and development of India's vast railway network.

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways: Covering policy decisions, infrastructure projects, and highway development.

What sets Mishra apart is his rigorous use of the Right to Information (RTI) Actas a primary tool for news gathering. By relying on official data and government records, he ensures a high degree of accuracy and trustworthiness in his reporting. This data-driven approach has resulted in numerous impactful reports that hold public institutions accountable and bring transparency to government operations.

Find all stories by Dheeraj Mishra here ... Read More

Tags:

Indian Railways