The Railway Board has directed all railway zones that mobile phone and laptop charging points in train coaches will be closed from 11 pm to 5 am. According to the report, this notification has been issued following an incident in South Eastern Railway (SER). There, a passenger’s power bank exploded while charging and began to emit smoke.

The train staff did not close the charging points during the stipulated time. In a letter dated October 26, the Railway Board has asked all zones to strictly comply with the 2014 order to close charging points at night. The board has also directed the railway officials to train the concerned employees and conduct surprise inspections to see if the rules are being followed.

In its letter, the board said that there was an incident recently in the South Eastern Railway (SER), in which the train staff did not switch off the mobile charging points within the stipulated time. After this, a passenger’s power bank exploded while charging and began to emit smoke. The Board has clarified that no relaxation should be given to Railway Zones in these instructions.

Reiterated the 2014 order regarding charging points

The Railway Board had first issued instructions to close charging points in train coaches in June 2014. The decision was taken in 2013 following a fire incident in an AC 3-tier coach of the ‘Hajur Sahib Nanded-KSR Bengaluru Express’ in the Bengaluru division of the South Western Railway. The order was issued based on the recommendations of the ‘Commissioner of Railway Safety’ (CRS), Southern Circle, who suggested banning the use of coaches between four-cones. pm and 6 am.

CRS, Southern Circle, in its report recommended that power points provided for charging mobile phones and laptops in air-conditioned coaches should be switched off between 10 pm and 6 am, the board said in its 2014 letter. However, the Railway Board has fixed a slightly different period in its instructions. In this regard, keeping in mind the safety and convenience of passengers, the power points provided for charging mobile phones and laptops in AC coaches have been advised to be switched off between 11 pm to 5 am. Railways have also been advised to put up stickers at designated places in all AC coaches, so that passengers are informed about the ban.

Some suggestions for sleeper coaches

There is also a safety concern in non-AC coaches. In November 2023, a fire broke out in a sleeper-class coach of the New Delhi-Darbhanga Humsafar Clone Special train on the Sarai Bhopat-Etawah section of the Prayagraj section of the North Central Railway around 5.25 pm.

The fire spread throughout the coach and engulfed the adjacent coach as well. After this incident, the ‘Commissioner of Railway Safety’ suggested that charging points should be closed in sleeper-class coaches as well as in AC coaches.

However, the Railway Board has stated in its ‘Action-Taken Report’ that charging points in AC coaches are already being closed during the stipulated time. The board also said that it would not be possible to deploy staff to enforce the ban in non-AC coaches, as it would cost too much.

Railway zones present fire and theft hazards

South East Central Railway (SECR) also issued similar instructions to its departments on March 6. The railway zone said charging points in AC coaches of trains passing through its Nagpur division often remain operational throughout the night, which is against Railway Board orders. Mobile charging points in AC coaches of trains passing through Nagpur division of SECR are often left on all night, in violation of Railway Board orders. The SECR also highlighted the dangers associated with leaving charging devices unattended at night. The SECR said that leaving the charging device unattended in this way can be a fire hazard, and also increases the chances of passengers’ mobile phones being stolen at night.