Reasons Behind Indian Railways’ Limitations on Lithium and Li-ion Battery Transport in Leased Train Compartments
The Indian Railways does not allow lithium and lithium-ion batteries to be carried in rented spaces of trains. These batteries are used in many things like electric cars, laptops, and phones. If they are not recycled, they can harm the environment and waste useful materials.
The railways’ parcel service can move these things, but it needs some rules. The report says that the railways need to know 48 hours before if someone wants to move lithium batteries or things that use them. The railway officials will also check and approve how the things are packed before they are put on the trains. These rules are to stop wrong things from being moved and to stop fires from happening.
In the first six months of this year, there were five fires on the railways, and two of them were in September. This is more than the two fires that happened at the same time last year.
The railways allowed lithium and lithium-ion batteries and things that use them to be moved in February this year. They changed the Railways Red Tariff Rules, 2000 for this. This lets people move phones, laptops, small electric cars, and other things using the railways’ parcel service.
They also allowed things like fire extinguishers, lighters, perfumes, and liquids that can burn or damage things to be moved.
The railways wanted to make more money and get more online businesses to use their service by allowing these things. But now they have some safety problems, so they have made some rules.
Ravinder Gupta, former Director General Safety of the Indian Railways, commented on the need for a battery-specific code, stating that input from international shipping and airline guidelines should be considered. This will ensure the safe transportation of lithium-ion batteries, whether contained in a device or loose, in a sufficiently discharged condition and properly packed, he said
Content Credit: ET Auto