Several more UK rail operators are to ban e-scooters from their trains from June 1st, due to concerns over fire risks.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services, will enforce the ban, as will Southeastern and South Western Railway (SWR).
E-bikes will however still be allowed - SWR said this is "because they are legal to use in the UK and are regulated to a legal minimum Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPC) standard. E-scooters are not subject to the same regulation, which makes them a higher, unregulated risk.”
E-scooter bans are already in place on London North Eastern Railway, Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express and Northern trains. The vehicles have also been banned from public transport in London and Newcastle by operators TfL and Nexus respectively.
SWR’s safety and security director Jane Lupson said, "reports of incidents involving e-scooters catching fire on National Rail services or infrastructure are increasing and the potential risk that they pose is not acceptable to our customers and colleagues".
“We understand that these devices are popular, but the safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority, so until greater regulation and testing can be brought in to ensure the safety of those travelling on trains, e-scooters will remain banned," added Lupson.
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Southeastern said an e-scooter battery is "subject to knocks, bumps and scrapes" because it’s close to the ground, and "more likely to receive damage, which could result in a fire, given the unregulated manufacture of many e-scooters available for purchase online".
Head of safety and environment at Southeastern, Steve Lewis said "although the likelihood of a fire incident is low, the risk of fire from e-scooters is much higher than other modes of transport, because of their design".
“Because it’s impossible for our colleagues at stations and on board our trains to check whether an e-scooter is safe or not, we have to think of everyone’s safety, and so we can’t allow them on our trains. It’s just not a risk we’re prepared to take," said Lewis.
“What’s more, privately owned e-scooters aren’t currently legal for use on UK highways, so we’d encourage our customers to make use of the secure Cycle Hubs and facilities at our stations, with more being installed to help encourage our customers to make even greener journeys.”
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Last year Caledonian Sleeper, the overnight rail service between London and Scotland, banned e-bikes from its trains, citing a risk assessment and “safety reasons”, but later reversed the ban after accepting that they do not pose a significant fire risk.
