Can You Vape on a Train?

It isn’t always clear where you can and can’t vape in the UK. The 2007 smoking ban means smoking cigarettes on trains and public transport is illegal, but do the same rules apply to e-cigarettes? 

Vaping can seem like more of a grey area compared to smoking. This guide shares all the information about vaping on public transport, including trains, around stations and on platforms. Understanding the rules means you won’t need to worry about where and when to activate your Vuse device.

The answer is almost always no. Although many train companies once allowed customers to vape on platforms, most no longer do. In 2015, all major network operators, including Network Rail and Virgin Trains, enforced a blanket ban on e-cigarettes on trains and station platforms.

Although e-cigarettes aren’t covered by the smoking legislation (which bans the use of cigarettes in all enclosed public places), most providers have decided to prohibit vaping and echo the policy outlined by Northern Rail. 

Regarding vaping on trains, Northern Rail’s website states that ‘for the comfort of other passengers, we do not allow electronic cigarettes to be used at any of our stations or on any of our services’.

In most cases, no. Most UK train service providers prohibit vaping on platforms and on their trains. In 2015, when Southern Rail banned vaping, they said that ‘from Sunday the 26th of July, electronic cigarette devices may not be used on our trains or at our stations’.

All the UK’s major train companies have banned vaping on board their services. And UK network providers have banned vaping in stations and on platforms. Here’s a list of the train companies that have explicitly prohibited vaping on their trains and platforms*:

• Avanti West Coast
• Chiltern Railways
• CrossCountry
• East Midlands Railway
• Eurostar
• Gatwick Express
• Greater Anglia
• Great Northern 
• Great Western Railway
• London Midland
• Northern
• ScotRail
• Southeastern
• Southern Railway
• South Western Railway
• Transport for London 
• Thameslink
• TransPennine Express
• Virgin Trains
• West Midlands Trains

*This is not an exhaustive list. Other providers not listed above may also explicitly prohibit the use of e-cigarettes.

If you’re an adult nicotine consumer travelling in the UK, wait until you’re outside the station (some have designated smoking areas) to vape.

Policies on vaping vary from company to company. Transport for London, for example, doesn’t allow using e-cigarettes or vaping devices on its buses or the London Underground. Others may do (although this is unlikely), so it’s always worth checking with your operator before you vape on your local bus.

No, you can’t vape in any UK airport or on planes. Adult nicotine consumers travelling by air should look for the airport’s designated smoking area, usually outside the terminal building. Explore our guide to learn more about travelling through airports and on planes with vapes. 

Want to know more about where you can vape in the UK? Head over to our indoor vaping guide to learn the rules and regulations. Get to know the UK’s vaping laws before activating your device in public to save tricky conversations, and learn how to practice good vaping etiquette to ensure those around you are happy and comfortable. Explore the answers to common vaping questions on our FAQs page.