What the rise of e‑mobility means for safety on rail networks
Lithium‑ion battery fires linked to e‑bikes and e‑scooters are increasing in Australia.
Over the last two years, the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) has been proactively monitoring the fire hazard associated with e-rideables (or e-mobility devices) powered by lithium-ion batteries (LiB) as an emerging rail safety risk.
A recent review for the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR), led by Dr Eleanor Short, Senior Technical Director at GHD, has examined what these risks mean specifically for rail environments, where passengers, staff and emergency responders operate in enclosed, high-density settings with limited ventilation and evacuation constraints.
The report found that while e‑bikes and e‑scooters are now a common part of daily commuting, battery fires on a train or a platform can cause new hazards which can cause serious injury.
Fire and Rescue NSW recorded 324 lithium‑ion battery fires in 2024, up from 272 in 2023 and 165 in 2022, with e-bikes and e-scooters now a significant cause of incidents. Many of these fires escalate rapidly due to thermal runaway, a chain reaction within the battery cells that can cause intense heat, flames and toxic gases with little warning.
Recognising the emerging risk, ONRSR identified fire on passenger trains as a focus area – or ‘sector safety theme’ – in early 2025. In keeping with its legislative mandate to ensure rail operators eliminate, or manage so far as is reasonably practicable, safety risks, ONRSR wrote to all mainline passenger operators across Australia requiring them to review the assessments and controls they have in place to manage the fire risk posed by e-rideables on trains and trams.
While lithium‑ion battery fires are rising nationwide, the risks are heightened by Australia’s fragmented regulation of e-mobility devices. In most states, devices can currently be imported without consistent safety testing, checks or certification requirements, increasing the chances of low‑quality batteries ending up on public transport. There are also issues with people modifying vehicles to achieve greater speeds which can compromise the safety of the battery packs.
“What this comes down to is awareness and preparedness,” said Dr Eleanor Short. “Thermal runaway fires in lithium‑ion batteries behave very differently to conventional fires, with new risks. That’s not widely understood by passengers or rail staff. Education about warning signs, safety in devices and how to respond in an incident is one of the most practical steps rail networks can take right now to reduce risk, without discouraging people from using e‑bikes and e-scooters as part of their commute.”
"Safety is at the core of everything ONRSR does, and we have been monitoring the fire hazard associated with e-mobility devices on rail for some time. ONRSR welcomes research that contributes to a better understanding of emerging rail safety risks, and the findings of this report will help inform ongoing engagement with operators on the management of fire risks associated with e-mobility devices." said Dr Natalie Pelham, Chief Executive, Office of National Rail Safety Regulator.
The research findings, which are being shared with the rail industry, validated ONRSR’s decision to require operators to conduct robust assessments of the risks associated with e-rideables and their response plans.
Control measures like nationnational-levelal level certification requirements can be used to reduce the likelihood of incidents occurring, reduce the severity of incidents (e.g. prohibiting only larger size devices) or address both issues (e.g. driver and staff education on LiB risks and safe practices).
Internationally, some rail operators have introduced targeted controls, often in response to incidents on board. Transport for London in the United Kingdom has prohibited e-scooters and non-folding e-bikes, while rail networks in Europe, China and Singapore require devices to be certified to national safety standards. Other approaches include carriage conditions based on battery capacity, rules for folding bikes, storage controls and time-based controls. Stronger, nationally consistent product safety standards for all e-mobility devices, building on the draft Road Vehicle Standards Amendments (Safer E-bikes) Bill currently before Parliament has an important role to play.
For passengers, the issue is ultimately about shared safety in shared spaces. Even a single incident can disrupt services, delay commuters and potentially expose passengers to gas, smoke and other hazards.
The report concludes that rail networks face a balancing act. The challenge is managing risks from e-mobility devices so far as is reasonably practicable in constrained environments, while protecting access and enabling the benefits from changing travel patterns.
Background
ONRSR is not a lawmaker, rather is the independent safety regulator and administrator of Rail Safety National Law (RSNL) on behalf of state, territory and federal Ministers for Infrastructure and Transport.
Operational decisions are made by Rail Transport Operators via their Safety Management Systems, which are designed to ensure rail safety risks are eliminated, or managed so far as is reasonably practicable.