Owing to hectic schedules, hundreds of Mumbaikars leave behind valuables worth crores on local trains every year. Between January and June 2022, the Mumbai division of the Western and Central Railway Protection Force (RPF) recovered the luggage of 995 passengers, with a daily average of 5.54 valuables. The daily average in 2021 was around 3.35.
In 2021, the luggage of 1,223 passengers was retrieved by Western and Central Railway RPF in Mumbai division. Most cases of forgotten items of luggage are reported in the train compartments. Sometimes, local train passengers keep their luggage on the rack and forget while deboarding the train.
“These luggage retrieval cases include articles like bags, mobile phones, purses, laptops, and other valuable articles,” said a CR officer. He added that some passengers forget to take all their belongings in a rush to board the train or leave it behind at stations. Under Operation Amanat, RPF personnel help in restoring the belongings to rightful owners.
A WR official said that this year, from January to June, the RPF retrieved luggage of 1,109 passengers valued at about Rs 2.3 crore. Out of these, nearly Rs 1.41 crore worth of luggage of 641 passengers was retrieved in the Mumbai Central division of the Western Railway alone.
Similarly, a CR official said in the same period, their RPF personnel retrieved luggage of 689 passengers valued at about Rs 1.89 crore. Out of this, Rs 1.17 crore worth of luggage of 354 passengers was retrieved in the Mumbai division alone.
In 2021, the RPF retrieved the luggage of 1,318 passengers valued at Rs 25.78 crore. Luggage worth Rs 1.82 crore (840 passengers) was retrieved in the Mumbai Central division of Western Railway. An official said that the RPF works round the clock to provide a safe, secure, and comfortable travel experience to passengers.
