Bikes on trains....

Compared to most public transport services, Northern Rail are more progressive in facilitating people to be able to travel on the train with their bicycles.

Northern's website states that the company is "strongly committed to promoting cycling. It is a sustainable and healthy form of transport and complements our train services. It is a key part of our integrated transport approach which is supported by our parent companies Serco and Abellio."

The company's 2010 cycling strategy document recognises some of the peak hour problems:

"Many of our trains consist of only two (or in some cases one) carriages. This can present serious difficulties in accommodating more than two bikes per train unit. In addition, our passenger numbers are growing by about 10% pa, so more trains are crowded. We wish to maintain our current flexible approach which avoids specific bans on rush hour trains and allows bikes to be carried free of charge."

More positively, the cycling strategy committed Northern Rail to the following actions in 2010/11.

"• Ensure that staff, particularly conductors, are fully briefed on Northern’s cycle policy
• Maintain our policy of not charging
• Maintain our policy of no formal peak restrictions
• Maintain our policy of ‘no advance reservations’
• When trains are refurbished we will explore opportunities for improving cycle space, on
the principle of providing flexible space
• Ensure that all the Northern fleet is signed externally and internally showing where bike
space is located
• In any future programme for new designs (e.g. Pacer replacement) we will ensure that
flexible space is maximised."

Unsurprisingly, they are also encouraging people to travel with folding bicycles.

"This is a growing market and we are happy to work with cycling organisations to encourage the use of folding bikes for cycle commuting. They take up minimal space and there are no restrictions on the number carried per train."


Northern Rail are looking to update their Cycling Strategy and the Northern Rail Cycle Forum have requested suggestions for both short and longer term objectives.


If you have any constructive suggestions, please send them to Les Webb, secretary for the  Northern Rail Cycle Forum at   les.webb at sustrans.org.uk  by the end of October.

Perhaps Metrolink would like to talk to their Northern Rail counterparts about how to integrate bicycles into a busy public transport service.....

Love Cycling GO Dutch...coming soon to Manchester!

Following the launch of the Manchester Interim Cycling Strategy earlier in the year and subsequent press coverage of Manchester City Council's stated ambition to become the No.1 Cycling City in the UK by 2017 comes the welcome announcement of the Love Cycling GO DUTCH event in Manchester on 20th November.

The meeting, co-sponsored by Netherlands Business Support Office in Manchester and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in London will provide an opportunity for local council officers, transport planners and cycling advocates to meet with leading Dutch and UK experts and policy makers in the fields of cycling and urban planning.

With the recent successful £36+ million Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) bid and the Cross City Bus Oxford Road Corridor funding -  Manchester has the opportunity to develop more imaginative, consistent, coherent, connected and safe cycling infrastructure.

Time to Go Dutch!

When: 9.00am-5.30pm: Tuesday 20 November 2012

Where: Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square, Manchester, M60 2LA.

A full speaker list will be available soon. Places are limited, so please register your interest

“Making Manchester a World Class Cycling City” ?

Manchester City Council has recently released a  consultation draft of the Manchester Cycling Strategy  "A Strategy for Cycling in Manchester 2011-2015" to members of the Manchester Cycle Forum for early comment.   The introduction explains how:

"As part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2010 by British Cycling and Manchester City Council, it was agreed that a joint cycling strategy be produced. Once complete, the intention is to bring together in one place the three strands of cycling: “utility” (commuter) cycling; leisure cycling and sports cycling."

The broad vision for the partnership is “Making Manchester a world class cycling city”

The draft strategy document states that to achieve this vision, "the partnership will deliver tangible improvements by making a commitment to:

• Collaboratively develop utility, leisure and sports cycling through a co-ordinated and sustainable cross-city programme

• Build on existing investment and development programmes

• Seek out additional investment to meet existing and future needs and
 

• Learn from others who have set examples of good practice."

The document acknowledges that it has yet to be completed and highlights that  the "sections detailing plans for recreation and sports cycling are still under development but outlines of their content are included."

 

Whilst waiting for a more detailed draft version, (promised towards the end of November) interested parties are invite to bring their comments to the Cycle Forum meeting due to be held on Tuesday 13th December 2011 or send them to cycle.forum@manchester.gov.uk by 24th December 2011.