By Kavita Mistry 
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Southern Railway’s Chennai Division has announced the rollout of sanitised bedroll services for Sleeper Class passengers, starting January 1, 2026. This marks a major upgrade for Non-AC travellers, who until now had no access to bedroll facilities on long-distance journeys.
A First for Indian Railways’ Sleeper Class
Indian Railways traditionally provides bedrolls only in AC coaches, leaving Sleeper Class passengers without similar comfort options. The new service fills this long-standing gap by offering clean, ready-to-use bedrolls on an on-demand, on-payment basis.
The initiative follows a successful pilot conducted under the New Innovative Non-Fare Revenue Ideas Scheme (NINFRIS) 2023–24, which received excellent feedback from passengers. Based on the strong response, the Railways has approved it as a regular non-fare revenue model.
Affordable Bedroll Packages
To ensure accessibility for passengers across all budgets, Southern Railway has introduced three economical packages:
- ₹50 Package – 1 bedsheet + 1 pillow + 1 pillow cover
- ₹30 Package – 1 pillow + 1 pillow cover
- ₹20 Package – 1 bedsheet
These price-friendly combinations aim to provide hygiene and comfort without burdening travellers.
The project is also expected to generate ₹28.27 lakh per year in licence fees, adding valuable non-fare revenue for Southern Railway.
Service to Cover 10 Major Trains
For the initial rollout, the bedroll service will operate for three years across ten major long-distance trains under Chennai Division. These include:
- Nilgiri Superfast Express (12671/72)
- Mangalore Superfast Express (12685/86)
- Mannargudi Express (16179/80)
- Tiruchendur Superfast Express (20605/06)
- Palghat Express (22651/52)
- Silambu Superfast Express (20681/82)
- Tambaram–Nagercoil Superfast Express (22657/58)
- Trivandrum Superfast Express (12695/96)
- Alleppey Superfast Express (22639/40)
- Mangalore Express (16159/60)
Enhancing Passenger Comfort and Hygiene
The introduction of sanitised bedrolls is expected to significantly improve travel comfort, especially for overnight journeys. By extending a premium AC-coach facility to Sleeper Class, Indian Railways is moving closer to its goal of offering a cleaner, more passenger-friendly travel experience for all categories of travellers.
Southern Railway’s Chennai Division will introduce sanitised, on-demand bedroll services for Sleeper Class passengers from January 1, 2026—a first for Indian Railways. Affordable packages priced at ₹20, ₹30, and ₹50 will be available across ten major trains. The initiative follows a successful pilot under NINFRIS and is expected to enhance passenger comfort while generating over ₹28 lakh annually in non-fare revenue.