Southeastern Railway bans e-scooters

From June 1 2023, e-scooters will be banned from Southeastern trains and stations.

Southeastern Railway has announced that it will no longer be allowing e-scooters following incidents where the lithium-ion batteries have caught on fire.

Southeastern will not be alone on June 1, Govia Thameslink Railway and South Western Railway will also be banning e-scooters on their trains and in stations.

This ban also covered e-unicycles, hoverboards and all other electric vehicles that use lithium-ion batteries.

Credit: Ernest Ojeh via Unsplash

On their website, Southeastern Railway has said: “There have been some isolated incidents where they have caught fire. If this was to happen on-board one of our trains it would be extremely dangerous.”

The ban will be enforceable under the National Rail Conditions of Travel.

Paragraph 23.5 of the conditions states that e-scooters are an item that is only permitted at the discretion of individual train companies, meaning that Southeastern railway have the right to refuse and confisgate e-scooters.

This ban will remain until better testing and regulations can be brought in to ensure the safety of others travelling on Southeastern trains.

Southeastern has made it clear that the ban does not include mobility scooters. They still welcome all mobility scooters that are under 1200mm long and 700mm wide.

Featured image credit: Josh parker via Unsplash