Indian Railways to disable mobile charging ports from 11 PM to 5 AM
The Ministry of Railways issued instructions to switch off charging points overnight to prevent fire hazards and ensure passenger safety.
The Ministry of Railways has directed that mobile charging points in train coaches must be switched off for six hours every night, between 11 PM and 5 AM, according to The Indian Express.
The decision follows an incident in the South Eastern Railway (SER) zone where onboard staff did not turn off the charging points. During that incident, a passenger's power bank exploded and produced smoke while it was being charged.
A similar event occurred on October 24, 2025, on the Amritsar-Purnia Court Jan Sewa Express near Sonbarsa Kachahari station in Bihar's Saharsa district. A fire started in a general coach around 6:10 PM after a mobile phone exploded while charging, though no casualties were reported.
The Railway Board has advised all Zonal Railways to instruct staff to ensure strict compliance with the new rule, stating that no exceptions should be permitted.
The Board has also called for the training of staff and directed officers and supervisors to conduct surprise inspections to check if the overnight restrictions are being followed.