Railway Board Orders Strict Night-Time Shutdown of Charging Points on Trains
The Railway Board has directed all zonal railways to enforce without exception its long-standing order requiring mobile phone and laptop charging points in train coaches to remain switched off between 11 pm and 5 am, citing fire safety risks.
In a letter dated October 26, the Board noted a recent lapse on the South Eastern Railway in which onboard staff failed to disconnect the points during the restricted hours. A passenger’s power bank later exploded while charging, producing smoke inside the coach. Reports indicate the incident occurred in the early hours of October 24 on the Mumbai–Howrah Mail near Bandamunda station in Odisha; the train was briefly halted before resuming its journey. No injuries were reported.
The Board has instructed all zones to issue necessary orders to concerned staff, provide training and counselling, and conduct surprise inspections by officers and supervisors to ensure compliance. It has ruled out any exceptions to the six-hour restriction.
The measure originates from a June 2014 Railway Board directive covering air-conditioned coaches. That order followed a 2013 fire in an AC 3-tier coach of the Hazur Sahib Nanded–KSR Bengaluru Express. The Commissioner of Railway Safety (Southern Circle) had recommended switching off charging points between 10 pm and 6 am; the Board adopted the 11 pm–5 am window, citing both safety and passenger convenience, and directed that stickers be displayed in AC coaches to inform travellers.
Following a fire in a sleeper-class coach of the New Delhi–Darbhanga Humsafar Clone Special in November 2023, safety authorities recommended extending similar restrictions to non-AC coaches. The Railway Board has previously indicated that deploying staff for implementation across non-AC coaches was not considered feasible due to cost.
In March, the South East Central Railway also issued instructions to its divisions highlighting instances of charging points remaining energised overnight in AC coaches and warning of the associated fire hazards.
Passengers travelling overnight are advised to charge devices before 11 pm or after 5 am. The renewed directive underscores the Board’s emphasis on preventing electrical fire risks during night journeys when coaches are occupied and supervision is reduced.
