On Thursday 15th November, the European Parliament supported the development of intermodal transportation by backing a proposal that will entitle passengers to take bicycles on board all trains, including on high-speed, long distance, cross-border and local services.

According to the updates proposed to the rail passengers’ rights regulations, all new and refurbished European trains should include a well indicated space to transport a minimum of eight assembled bicycles.  The MEP who led on preparing the TRAN Committee’s position, Vice-President Bogusław Liberadzki (S&D), commented after the vote in the Plenary: "Today is a great day for consumer rights. Soon passengers will be able to take bicycles on every train and persons with reduced mobility can rely on better assistance at stations and on trains."

Many cyclists, particularly cycle tourists, prefer to use their own bicycle at the beginning and the end of their journey for reasons of comfort, convenience and cost.  As Michael Cramer MEP (Greens/European Free Alliance), long term supporter of bicycle issues in the European Parliament, noted “This will finally take into account the boom in cycle tourism. It has been growing at an annual rate of 20% for more than two decades, generating an annual volume of more than 40 billion euros in the EU”.

European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) and its members have long been campaigning for stronger wording in the EU regulation that relates to the carriage of bicycles on trains: Regulation on Rail Passengers’ Rights and Obligations.  The current wording, which dates back to 2009, only states the conditions under which bicycles might be carried and does not encourage railway undertakings to implement measures designed to combine these modes. Consequently there are numerous rail connections across Europe where there is no existing provision for the carriage of assembled bicycles.

Bernhard Ensink, the ECF’s Secretary General, was understandably happy with the news:

“I am very proud of the lobbying work that ECF has done over many years for improved conditions for taking bicycles on trains and for encouraging intermodality by more and better quality bike parking facilities at train stations. We hope that the Council will be equally supportive of such measures."

The wording that the Plenary adopted was: “Passengers shall be entitled to take bicycles on board the train, including on high speed, long distance, cross-border and local services. All new or refurbished passenger rolling stock shall, at the latest two years after the entry into force of this regulation, include a well indicated designated space for the carriage of assembled bicycles with a minimum of 8 spaces. Railway undertakings, ticket vendors, tour operators and, where appropriate, station managers shall inform passengers at the latest when purchasing the ticket of the conditions for bicycle carriage on all services in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 454/2011.”

The next step will be for the European Parliament to enter into discussions with the Council of the European Union (the Member States) to agree the final wording of the regulation.  Unfortunately progress on this issue within the Council is understood to be delayed, so the ECF calls on the next EU Presidencies to make this a priority.