Indian Railways Bans Charging of Mobiles on Trains
Railways authorities have strongly decided to disallow passengers from using mobile charging stations between 11 pm and 5 am as a precautionary measure against fire.
In 2014, the Commissioner of Railway Safety after a fire had broken out in the Bangalore-Hazur Sahib Nanded Express had recommended that charging stations be switched off between 11 pm and 5 am.
The Indian Railway Board had eventually issued such orders to trains across India. However, this rule is not being followed.
Recently there have been many cases of fire on trains. A coach of the Dehradun-bound Shatabdi Express caught fire in a case of a short circuit on March 13. Barely six days later, a fire broke out in the engine of a static goods train at the Ranchi station. Officials said, these fires were caused due overcharging of electronic devices.
Now Railways authorities have strongly decided to disallow passengers from using mobile charging stations onboard trains between 11 pm and 5 am as a precautionary measure against the spread of fire. The Railways has also announced a slew of initiatives against smoking and carrying inflammable items, which were apparently also the cause behind some of the recent fires onboard trains.
