Passengers in sleeper classes in non-AC buses no longer need pillows and sheets for the journey. The Chennai division of Southern Railway recently announced that passengers can get quick access to these essentials during their journey from next year i.e. January 1.
The announcement said, “Chennai Division, Southern Railway, is proud to announce the launch of a pioneering service to enhance comfort and hygiene for sleeper class passengers. From January 1, 2026, non-AC sleeper class passengers can request ready-to-use disinfected blankets on demand – on payment basis.”
The service will initially be implemented for a period of three years on ten trains operated by the Chennai division. After paying an annual license fee of approx ₹28.27 lakh, the entire process including procurement, mechanized washing, packing, loading, distribution and storage of the backing rolls will be managed.
“Until now, Sleeper Class passengers did not have access to organized provision of blankets during their journeys. To address this, the Chennai Division implemented a pilot project under the New Innovative Non-Fare Revenue Ideas Scheme (NINFRIS) in 2023-24. The pilot project received an overwhelmingly positive response from passengers, which prompted the Railways to introduce this service as a regular,” adds aNFR Non-Fare.
A significant change in the services provided to passengers in non-AC sleeper coaches is that passengers can use this facility to pay the required fee and items required for a comfortable sleep during the train journey will be made on demand.
Applicable fees
As part of the new Southern Railway initiative, you can borrow a pillow with a cover ₹30, while the bed sheet rental charges were set at ₹20. Passengers can use both items ₹50. Earlier, only passengers in AC sleeper coaches were given pillows and sheets, but no additional charges were added to the ticket price.
List of trains with pillow and sheet facilities
Passengers on a total of 10 express trains will have access to rental pillows and sheets from January 1, according to the November 28 announcement. Below are the least number of trains where this facility will be available.
