E-SCOOTERS will be banned on South Western Railway (SWR) stations and trains from June 1.

The new rule, which includes the banning of e-unicycles, e-skateboards and hoverboards, has been brought in because of safety concerns around batteries.

It follows similar bans by other train operators, and has been introduced because e-scooters pose a fire risk from their lithium-ion batteries overheating.

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SWR stations include Andover, Basingstoke, Winchester, Salisbury and London Waterloo.

The company said that while the chances of a fire are small, there have been recent incidents of e-scooters catching fire on other forms of public transport.

According to the Guardian newspaper, e-bike and e-scooter fires have injured at least 190 people in the UK, with fires more than quadrupling since 2020 following a surge in popularity of battery-assisted travel.

In addition to the ban of e-scooters, SWR has confirmed that customers will not be permitted to charge the devices at their stations or on their trains, and that they will not be accepted as lost property.

Electric wheelchairs and e-bikes are exempt from the ban along with mobility scooters for those with accessibility needs.

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Jane Lupson, SWR’s head of safety, said: “Reports of incidents involving e-scooters catching fire on National Rail services or infrastructure are increasing and the potential risk that they pose is not acceptable to our customers and colleagues.

“After some consideration, and in line with other partners in the rail industry, we will be banning e-scooters on our trains and at our stations from Thursday 1 June.

“We understand that these devices are popular, but the safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority, so until greater regulation and testing can be brought in to ensure the safety of those travelling on trains, e-scooters will remain banned.”