Northern Rail has banned e-scooters, e-skateboards and hoverboards from its trains and stations.
The ban, which comes into effect today, December 1, is due to the safety risk posed by the lithium batteries inside the devices, which can overheat and catch fire.
The rail operator added that once a lithium battery catches on fire, there is no way of stopping it or extinguishing it and that the result of a malfunction on a train could cause serious harm to passengers and staff.
Electric wheelchairs and e-bikes are exempt from the ban, as are mobility scooters for those with access needs, as long as they are registered with the train operator’s Mobility Scooter Permit Scheme, which checks devices by a criteria to make sure they are safe to use on board.
Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “The safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority. As these devices have become more and more popular, so have the horror stories of lithium batteries overheating and catching fire.
“Most of these devices are not actually approved for use in the UK – and from today onwards our staff will refuse travel to anyone attempting to board one of our trains, or access one of our stations with such a device.”
