GWR bans e-scooters from stations due to safety fears

Customers will no longer be able to take e-scooters on to Great Western Railway trains or stations which the company operates from Sunday, May 21.

This will include Swindon railway station as well as others in Wiltshire such as Chippenham, Trowbridge and Westbury.

The company said it was concerned over the fire risk posed by lithium batteries.

In an update to its policy, it said: "This follows a number of incidents on the UK rail and tube network where lithium-ion batteries in e-scooters have been associated with severe overheating, increasing the risk of fire.

"If unchecked, this carries particular risks in enclosed spaces on board trains."

The firm said the ban was because of the current lack of regulation around e-scooters.

A statement from the rail company said: "Unlike other personal mobility devices such as e-bikes or mobility scooters, e-Scooters are not currently regulated, and are not required to meet minimum safety standards for vehicles."

After May 21, customers bringing e-scooters on GWR trains or stations will be asked to leave.

Any unattended e-scooters will be treated as abandoned and will be safely disposed of.

The ban also applies to GWR staff.

GWR spokesman Paul Gentleman told BBC Radio Berkshire: "These things at some point will need some sort of regulations in terms of their safety, not only in terms of using them going around, but also the actual technology that is built within them."

He added the decision had been "difficult" but "sensible".

GWR is the latest train operator or transport authoriy to clamp down on people carrying the machines onboard trains or at stations.

A total of 10 other major UK transport operators, including Transport for London and rail firms Northern, Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express and East Midlands Railway have all banned e-scooters over safety concerns.

In many cases, the bans also extend to similar machines including e-hoverboards, e-unicycles and e-skateboards.