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The Association of Train Operating Companies’ has worked with National Rail Enquiries to upgrade its app – available free for iPhone and Android – so that people planning to cycle to a rail station or take their bike on a train can get the information they need in a couple of clicks.
The new function is an update to the existing app. It provides information on cycling facilities at stations, such as cycle parking; the rules for taking bikes on trains of different rail companies; the number of cycle spaces on the train; and whether it’s necessary reserve a space for a bike.
The app upgrade is a joint project by the Cycle Rail Working Group and has been funded by ATOC, the Enabling Innovation Team, the Department for Transport and, via the Bicycle Association of Great Britain’s Bike Hub levy fund.
The app has been developed and tested in partnership with CTC and Sustrans. Train operators have varying levels of demand and capacity for carrying bikes and so have different regulations and restrictions. The new function will make it easier for people to check cycle carriage rules and plan their journey and will encourage more people to cycle to and from rail stations.
Conrad Haigh, Head of Integrated Transport at ATOC, said: “Cycling in Britain is booming and the rail industry is playing a key role in its success, as more people than ever want to cycle to the station. Bike facilities on the rail network are improving all the time and it is important that cycle-rail passengers know what facilities are available."
Since 2009, the number of cycle parking spaces at rail stations has more than doubled to over 53,000, with plans to add almost 16,000 further spaces by the end of 2015. Over the same period, the number of cycle-rail journeys made has increased by 14 million to a record 39 million a year.
