Forgot your charger, shoes or laptop on a train? Delhi RPF gets 54% more calls from passengers in 2026; check how to recover lost items

Mobile phone chargers, shoes, bags, earphones and laptops are among the belongings passengers frequently leave behind on trains and at railway stations. The number of calls to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Delhi seeking help with missing items rose sharply in the first five months of 2026, underlining how often passengers misplace their belongings while travelling. According to a TOI report, the Delhi division of the RPF received 12,232 calls about missing or forgotten items between January and May 2026, up nearly 54% from 7,922 calls during the same period last year.

The increase in complaints was accompanied by a rise in recoveries. The RPF retrieved 3,157 belongings during the first five months of 2026, compared with 2,204 in the corresponding period of 2025, an increase of around 43%.

Mobile chargers, shoes and laptops among items left behind on trains

Passengers frequently forget everyday essentials while boarding or getting off trains, particularly when they are in a hurry or trying to manage several pieces of luggage.


Items commonly reported missing include mobile phone chargers, goggles, shoes, bags, earphones and laptops, according to the TOI report.

An RPF officer told TOI that passengers carrying three or four pieces of luggage sometimes leave belongings on upper berths or put bags aside while settling into their seats. In the rush to get off at their destinations, they may forget to collect these items.

Footwear and charging accessories are particularly easy to overlook. Passengers who remove their shoes and switch to slippers during a journey may leave their shoes behind when deboarding. Similarly, those charging their phones may forget to unplug their chargers from sockets in the coach.

Delhi RPF recovers 43% more lost belongings

The increase in calls has been accompanied by a rise in the number of items recovered by railway security personnel.

The Delhi division's RPF recovered 3,157 belongings between January and May 2026, compared with 2,204 during the same period in 2025. This represents an increase of approximately 43%.

The figures suggest that more passengers are seeking assistance to retrieve belongings left behind during their journeys. In many cases, recovered items are returned to their owners.

How does RPF help passengers recover lost items on trains?

The senior divisional security commissioner of the RPF’s Delhi division, Ashutosh Pandey, told TOI that personnel are deployed round the clock to respond to complaints from passengers who have misplaced their belongings.

When a complaint is received through the helpline, an RPF staff member checks the train's location and identifies the nearest available personnel. They are then alerted to search the relevant seat, berth or coach for the missing item.

The RPF also coordinates with coach attendants, who help check compartments, particularly when trains have a long halt at a station.

The response depends on whether the item can be located and whether the train's position allows personnel to search it in time.

What should passengers do if they leave something on a train?

Passengers who realise they have left an item behind should report it to the railway authorities or the RPF as soon as possible. Providing details such as the train number, coach and seat or berth number, the journey date, and a description of the missing item can help personnel identify where to look.

Passengers should also check their belongings before getting off, particularly charging points, upper berths and luggage storage areas. Keeping track of bags and smaller items while changing trains or moving between coaches can help prevent belongings from being left behind.


Inputs from agencies