Greater Anglia has banned e-scooters on trains across the region due to concerns over fire risk.

The rail operator said they will no longer be allowed on-board any of its trains, including Norwich to London mainline and local services, because of the risks posed by the type of batteries that typically power the scooters.

Eastern Daily Press: E-scooters will no longer be allowed on trains to and from Norwich and other regional servicesE-scooters will no longer be allowed on trains to and from Norwich and other regional services (Image: Newsquest)

The ban will come into force on June 1 but doesn’t cover mobility scooters, electric wheelchairs and e-bikes.

Although there have been no safety incidents to date involving e-scooters on Greater Anglia services, the operator is taking action in line with other train companies.

Matt Wakefield, 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.

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“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.”

Eastern Daily Press: Matt Wakefield, Greater Anglia head of safety, security and sustainabilityMatt Wakefield, Greater Anglia head of safety, security and sustainability (Image: Greater Anglia)

Bans are also being imposed by Greater Northern, which runs services via King’s Lynn, and East Midlands Railway, which operates the trains running from Norwich to Peterborough, Nottingham, Sheffield and Liverpool.

Transport for London has also banned e-scooters following two incidents of privately-owned powered e-scooters catching fire on its network.

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Research by the East of England Trading Standards Association has previously prompted safety warnings about the risks of fire and electric shock.

Eastern Daily Press: It is illegal to use private scooters on public roads, pavements, in cycle lanes and in pedestrian-only areasIt is illegal to use private scooters on public roads, pavements, in cycle lanes and in pedestrian-only areas (Image: PA)

Testing by Norfolk Trading Standards found three-quarters of scooters had faults.

The rail ban on e-scooter riders comes as Department for Transport figures show there were 15 people injured in Norfolk last year, down from 21 in 2021 but a significant increase from two casualties two years prior.

E-scooter rental scheme trials are currently taking place in Norwich and Great Yarmouth.