IndiaPosted at: Oct 28 2026 9:35AM


Railway Board tightens overnight charging restrictions after power bank explosion on train, orders surprise inspections

New Delhi, Oct 28 (UNI) The Railway Board has directed all zonal railways to strictly enforce the mandatory shutdown of mobile charging points in passenger coaches between 11 pm and 5 am following an incident in which a passenger's power bank exploded while being charged on a train.
In a letter addressed to the Principal Chief Mechanical Engineers of all zonal railways, the Board expressed concern over non-compliance with existing safety instructions and ordered railway authorities to ensure that charging points remain switched off during the prescribed six-hour period without exception.
The directive follows an incident on South Eastern Railway (SER), where onboard staff failed to switch off mobile charging points during the restricted hours. A passenger's power bank subsequently exploded while being charged, producing smoke.
"Recently, an instance has occurred in SER where onboard staff has not switched off the mobile charging points during the aforesaid period," the Railway Board said.
The Board reiterated that the overnight restriction was originally introduced through instructions issued on June 19, 2014, and was already applicable across zonal railways.
Referring to the latest incident, the Board directed railway administrations to issue necessary instructions to all concerned employees and ensure strict compliance with the existing safety requirements.
"No exception should be permitted on this account," the Board stated.
The communication also directed railway authorities to suitably counsel, instruct and train concerned staff to ensure effective implementation of the safety measures.
In addition, the Board called for surprise inspections by officers and supervisors to check whether mobile charging points were being switched off during the stipulated hours.
The instructions place responsibility on railway personnel to enforce the shutdown rather than leaving compliance to passengers.
Under the existing arrangement, charging points in railway coaches are required to remain switched off from 11 pm until 5 am, restricting passengers' access to onboard charging facilities during those hours.
The latest order reinforces an existing safety measure rather than introducing a fresh prohibition.
The Railway Board has instructed all zonal railways to take the necessary steps to ensure compliance and prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
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