NEW DELHI: The Railway Board has directed all railway zones to keep charging points in train coaches switched off at night, citing passenger safety. Under the new instructions, all mobile and laptop charging points in coaches must remain off for six hours, from 11 pm to 5 am. The decision follows a recent incident on a Mumbai local train in which a power bank exploded while being charged, filling the coach with dense smoke and causing panic among passengers.
Officials said passengers are typically asleep at night, making it difficult to spot overheating or short circuits in devices left plugged in for long periods. Such faults can escalate into serious fires within moments, and the ban has been introduced as a precautionary measure.
Restrictions on night-time charging have existed since 2014, but critics have said enforcement has been inconsistent across the network. Following the Mumbai incident, the Board has chosen to treat the rules with greater urgency. It has told zones to give special training to ground-level staff to ensure charging points are switched off on time, and has instructed officials to carry out surprise inspections without prior notice.
The Board warned that negligence in safety measures would not be tolerated. Passengers are advised to charge their phones and power banks before 11 pm.