UK train operator BANS common item being taken onboard due to safety fears
ONE rail operator is banning a popular item onboard all its trains to ensure passenger safety.
Merseyrail has announced that e-bikes will be banned onboard from January 1, 2027.
The ban has been announced after a safety review as e-bikes pose a fire risk.
E-bikes run on lithium batteries, which can be flammable and there have been cases where they’ve caught fire before.
The ban won’t just apply on trains – it will apply at all stations on the Merseyrail network.
This will also include station buildings, car parks, and cycle storage facilities.
Anyone travelling with a banned item on or after January 1 may be refused access to Merseyrail trains or stations.
From the commencement of the ban, the following items will not be allowed anywhere on the Merseyrail network:
- Non-folding e-bikes
- Modified or adapted e-bikes
- E-bike conversion kits
- Lithium-ion e-bike batteries that have been detached and are being carried separately
Pedal bikes, folding e-bikes, certain mobility scooters, and powered wheelchairs will still be allowed.
The move follows the ban on e-scooters which was announced on Merseyrail services in 2023.
Non-folding e-bikes are already banned across London transport, which includes the Tube, Overground, Elizabeth line and DLR.
E-scooters are banned on all TFL services will all ebikes are banned on the cable car.
