Anyone found breaking the rule could face a fine of £1,000.
The London Fire Brigade says it is dealing with an e-bike or e-scooter fire every other day and has warned about safety risks from bicycles that have had batteries added using electric conversion kits.
TfL said it has imposed the ban after a “significant fire” at Rayners Lane Station last month.
There was an e-bike fire at Sutton’s National Rail station a year ago. The bike’s owner said he had bought the cycle online four months beforehand and there had been no problems, but then “the bike started smoking on the train platform and then burst into flames”. As shown in the video of CCTV footage above, it was a matter of seconds after the battery began to emit smoke that the e-bike exploded into flames.
There is no national policy in regard to e-bikes on railways.
All e-scooters, e-unicycles, e-skateboards and hoverboards were banned on Thameslink and Southern Rail services in June 2023.
Unfolded e-bikes can still be carried off-peak on some National Rail trains that aren’t operated for TfL.
TfL banned e-scooters from its network in December 2021.
The ban on e-bikes comes in because the transport authority says that staff would not be able to tell the difference between purpose-built e-bikes and the often higher risk modified bikes.
‘Serious concerns’: LFB deputy commissioner Charlie Pugsley says that his officers are dealing with an e-bike fire on average every other day
Folding e-bikes are exempt from the ban. TfL said it was “not aware of any reports of foldable e-bike fires in London, and there are fewer opportunities for foldable cycles to be converted into e-bikes using conversion kits”.
“We welcome this move by Transport for London following their detailed safety review, as it acknowledges the risks that we know e-bike batteries can pose,” said LFB’s Charlie Pugsley.
“While we recognise the sustainable benefits e-bikes, and micromobility generally, bring to our city, the reality is that across London we have been seeing an e-bike or e-scooter fire every other day, on average, and we have particular concern about the risk posed by conversion kits or modified e-bikes.
“When these fires occur, they can be sudden, incredibly ferocious and produce smoke that is extremely toxic.”
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