E-bike London Underground ban: E-bikes to be banned from Tube, Elizabeth line and Overground after station fires

Transport for London (TfL) announced the ban on Wednesday (26 March) “to ensure the safety of customers and staff”. TfL will also ban e-bikes from the London Overground, the Elizabeth line and the DLR (Docklands Light Railway).

However foldable e-bikes – such as those produced by Brompton – will still be permitted. London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has an electric Brompton. The ban comes into force on March 31 and will be enforced by TfL’s 450-strong team of enforcement officers.

Passengers found with a non-foldable e-bike on TfL services will be told to leave and could be fined up to £1,000. TfL says it is the first transport operator in the UK to ban e-bikes. Tube unions have long been concerned about the fire risk from e-bike batteries.

The ban comes after a catastrophic incident was narrowly averted when one exploded into flames on a Tube station platform. The incident at Rayners Lane station sent toxic fumes billowing across the station and caused temporary disruption to the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines.

A cyclist was wheeling the bike towards a train and was about to board when it exploded. The London Fire Brigade had to be called and extinguished the blaze.

Aslef, which represents the majority of Tube drivers, had threatened to ballot for strike action unless action was taken in the wake of the incident on February 27. An internal TfL report found that had the e-bike rider been able to wheel his bike onto the Metropolitan line train then the outcome could have been far more serious.

The e-bike owner Sahab Singh, 25, from Sutton said he had bought the e-bike from an online marketplace four months earlier. He said: “I never had any problems with the e-bike until the day of the fire. I was travelling to work in Crystal Palace. The bike started smoking on the train platform and then burst into flames. I feel lucky that I escaped and no one was injured. It was very scary.”

E-bikes will continue to be permitted on the Woolwich Ferry and on the Silvertown Tunnel bike bus when it starts operating on April 7 – the same day that the tunnel opens. Sir Sadiq said: “While most e-bikes are safe, there have been a small number of incidents where non-foldable e-bikes have caught fire on the transport system, which have caused me great concern.

“This is why, following a comprehensive review of the safety of e-bikes, TfL is banning all non-folding e-bikes on Tube and rail services. I have asked TfL to continue to work with Government and partners to improve e-bike safety as we build a safer London for everyone.”