Railway Board orders overnight shutdown of train charging outlets after power‑bank blast

Railway Board has ordered all zones to turn off train charging outlets from 11 pm to 5 am on overnight trips. The directive comes with a memo to carry out surprise spot‑checks inside coaches during night travel. Officers and supervisors must ensure the rule is followed without any exception. The board recalled a circular issued more than ten years ago that asked for the same shutdown, but recent checks showed uneven compliance. The renewed push follows a recent mishap in the South Eastern Railway zone where staff left the outlets on, leading to a power‑bank explosion while a mobile phone was charging. Smoke filled the carriage and passengers panicked, though no serious injuries were reported. Some senior officials argue that the ban should target power‑bank charging rather than all mobile devices, and warn against adding more charging points indiscriminately. In parallel, the South Central Railway restored services on the Visakhapatnam route, including the Godavari Express and Visakha Express, after a day’s delay caused by Cyclone Arnab. Weather improvement allowed trains to run again on Wednesday. However, eleven pairs of express connections linking Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Narsapur and Srikakulam with Secunderabad, Lingampalli and Cherlapalli stayed cancelled, with normal schedules expected on Thursday. Six trains, such as the Visakhapatnam‑Mumbai Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express and the Cherlapalli‑Shalimar Express, ran 180‑280 minutes late, a senior official said.

Context

Railway charging outlets let passengers power devices on long journeys, but faulty use can cause overheating. Safety rules often require turning them off during periods of low supervision. The ban aims to prevent incidents like the recent power‑bank explosion.