Both Great Northern and Greater Anglia set to join Transport for London in banning the battery-powered devices

E-scooters available to hire in London (credit TfL) — credit TfL

E-scooter riders will be unable to board trains in Enfield from the start of June after two rail companies confirmed they would be banned over safety fears.

Great Northern, which runs rail services in the west of the borough, and Greater Anglia, which runs services in the east, are implementing a ban on e-scooters from 1st June.

Transport for London (TfL) has not allowed e-scooters on its buses, tube or rail services since December 2021, with fines of up to £1,000 issued for those who don’t comply.

Both Great Northern and Greater Anglia state that e-scooters will be banned “because of the risk posed by the type of batteries that typically power the scooters”.

It follows a number of incidents on the UK rail and tube network where lithium-ion batteries have been associated with severe overheating, causing fires, explosions and toxic gas to be released.

Matt Wakefield, Greater Anglia’s head of safety, security and sustainability, said: “Safety of our passengers and staff is our number one priority, and we know that e-scooters have battery packs which vary greatly in quality.

“The decision has therefore been made to ban these items from carriage on our network due to recent incidents elsewhere and the risks associated with them using faulty lithium batteries and catching fire.”

Jenny Saunders, customer services director for Govia Thameslink Railway (which includes Great Northern), said: “In line with most other UK train operating companies and Rail Delivery Group advice, from 1st June we will not allow e-scooters or similar devices on trains or stations. Too many e-scooters have poor-quality lithium batteries that do not comply with European standards and make them a serious safety hazard, with the risk of explosion, fire and release of poisonous gas.”

The ban covers e-scooters only. Mobility scooters, electric wheelchairs and e-bikes are exempt from the ban.

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