The Bike-Rail User Market

There are essentially three type of bike-rail user.

1. Commuters. They may cycle to the station, take a train to the nearest station from their place of work, and then cycle the rest of the way, or they may only use the bike on one leg of the journey. Sadly on our congested rail network it is not really possible to accommodate mass bike-rail commuting so these users are best catered for by secure cycle parking at outlying and central stations and low-cost bike hire at their destination station.

2. Occasional users - these people may be travelling during the course of the day for work, for shorter day trips, or volunteering. They need to be able to hop on and off local trains without a reservation.

3. Cycle Tourists: These people are heading for a long-distance tour of some of the more scenic parts of the UK. They need to be sure that they can get their bike on their chosen train in order to make connections for less frequent rural services, ferries etc. so they need to be able to make cycle reservations.

For user groups a Brompton or other cheaper folding bike may be the solution but Bromptons are increasingly expensive and may be beyond the means of people on a low income.

The Challenge for the Rail Industry is how to accommodate these three types of customer.