Pune, 5th August 2026: Thousands of passengers travelling in air-conditioned railway coaches have walked away with bedrolls meant only for use during the journey, resulting in the theft of 2,06,483 linen items worth nearly ₹3 crore over the last five years.
Official data from the Pune Railway Division shows that bedsheets were the most frequently stolen item, followed by towels, pillows and other linen supplied to passengers.
Indian Railways provides AC coach passengers with a bedroll kit comprising a bedsheet, blanket, pillow and towel to ensure a comfortable journey. However, railway officials found that many passengers fail to return these items before leaving the train, leading to significant losses every year.
Around 30 trains departing from Pune every day are supplied with bedroll kits through private contractors. As per railway regulations, contractors are responsible not only for distributing clean linen to passengers but also for collecting it before passengers deboard.
Once a train reaches its destination, all linen is counted, and the value of any missing items is deducted from the contractor's bill or security deposit.
Although passengers are responsible for taking away the linen, the financial burden is ultimately borne by contractors and, in many cases, the staff managing the bedroll service.
After auditing the missing linen over the past five years, the Pune Railway Division recovered ₹2.81 crore from contractors to compensate for the losses. While this ensures that the railways do not suffer a direct financial loss, repeated thefts continue to increase operational costs and place additional pressure on contractors responsible for the service.
"Private contractors are responsible for supplying clean bedrolls to passengers and ensuring that all items are collected safely after use. Based on audits conducted over the last five years, the Pune Railway Division has recovered ₹2.81 crore from contractors' bills for missing linen. We appeal to passengers to cooperate and help protect public property by returning the bedrolls after their journey," said Hemant Kumar Behera, Public Relations Officer, Pune Railway Division.
Railway officials have urged passengers to treat railway property responsibly and return all bedroll items before leaving the train. They said preventing such thefts would help maintain quality services and avoid unnecessary financial losses for contractors and frontline railway staff.