Shocking moment e-bike bursts into flames on Tube platform as passengers evacuated

27 February 2025, 20:34

An e-bike left on a London Tube station platform burst into flames on Thursday, sparking an evacuation as passengers fled.

Smoke could be seen rising from the vehicle that had been abandoned at Rayners Lane station in northwest London.

Three fire engines and 20 firefighters arrived at the scene at around 11.30am, taking nearly half an hour to put out the blaze.

Images show crowds of passengers standing outside the Tube station as emergency services battled to extinguish the fire.  A clip of the e-bike shows how the fire raged through the vehicle, burning it to ashes.

The video caption read: “Rayners Lane underground station just now. This is why electric bikes shouldn’t be allowed on the tube.

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One worried onlooker who was at the station has shared how commuters were told to “stay back” as staff led them out the station, The Sun reports. 

A London Fire Brigade (LFB) spokesperson said: “The Brigade was called to reports of an ebike fire on a platform at Rayners Lane tube station.“

"One ebike was completely destroyed by fire. Fire crews helped people evacuate the station to safety.”'

A Transport for London spokesperson said: “The incident led to a suspension of services for a short time on the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines but that has now lifted and both lines are now running with severe delays.“

TfL’s Conditions of Carriage state that you cannot take an electric scooter on our bus, Tube, Tram, DLR, London Overground, Elizabeth line and London Cable Car services.”

This is not the first time an e-bike has set alight. In fact, there were 142 e-bike fires and 29 e-scooter fires last year, according to the LFB.

Meanwhile, three people have died in fires caused by e-bike battery failures in London since 2023 and more than 100 people have been hurt.

They typically break out when the batteries inside the vehicles fail. Earlier this month, two separate fires sparked by e-bikes and e-scooters left two homes gutted and two dogs dead. 

Speaking following the incident, LFB deputy assistant commissioner for prevention and protection Richard Field said: "Both of these fires were caused by catastrophic battery failures. When these batteries fail, they can cause ferocious fires, and the consequences can be devastating."