Train charging points will remain switched off from 11 pm to 5 am under a Railway Board directive issued to all zonal railways, following a power bank blast during charging that reportedly filled a coach with smoke and triggered panic among passengers.
The board has instructed railway authorities to ensure that charging points in all coaches are disconnected during the six-hour window without exception. Its letter, issued on October 26, also directs railway staff to be briefed and trained on the instruction. Officials and supervisors have been asked to conduct surprise inspections to confirm that power supply to the points is actually shut off at the prescribed time.
The immediate trigger was an incident in the South Eastern Railway zone in which a passenger’s power bank exploded while charging. The incident caused smoke to spread through the coach and led to confusion among passengers. According to the report, railway authorities said the prescribed instruction to switch off charging points during the night had not been followed in that case.
The Railway Board has warned against negligence in implementing the order. The directive covers mobile charging points available to passengers for phones and other electronic devices, meaning travellers on overnight services will not be able to use the facility for six hours during the journey.
The overnight shutdown is not a new railway policy. The Railways first introduced the rule on June 19, 2014, directing that charging points be kept off between 11 pm and 5 am. The measure followed a fire incident on the Bengaluru–Hazur Sahib Nanded Express and recommendations from the Commissioner of Railway Safety. In March 2021, the Railways again instructed its zones to ensure compliance with the arrangement.
The latest order places renewed emphasis on enforcement rather than introducing a new operating window. The requirement for staff training, supervisory checks and surprise inspections indicates that the board is focusing on preventing charging points from remaining energised during the restricted hours.
For passengers, the change means that phones and other essential electronic devices may need to be charged before beginning an overnight journey. The Railways has advised travellers to complete charging in advance because the facility will not be available during the designated six-hour period.
The board’s instructions now require zonal railway administrations to ensure that the scheduled shutdown is carried out across coaches and that compliance is checked by responsible officers and supervisors.
