Bikes are allowed on ALL Metrolink train cars..... (but unfortunately not here !)

Bikes are allowed on ALL Metrolink train cars.... How great that statement would be if it applied to the Metrolink service in Greater Manchester.

Unfortunately, the "Bike on Board. The New Way to Commute" promotion is for the Metrolink services in Southern California, USA. The public transit provider has added Bike Cars to accommodate more bikes on select trains as part of Metrolink's green initiatives program.

According to the guidelines the lower levels of the new Bike Cars are equipped with stalls that are designed to hold three bikes each. Bike Cars are identified by a yellow “Bike Car” decal on the side of the train or bike train wrap. Each train car is designed to hold three bikes.  The special Bike Cars are designed to hold 18 bikes on the lower level.

Contrast the progressive US policy with the current Metrolink guidance on the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) website.

Despite ongoing campaigning, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) remains ambivalent (at best) and hostile (at worst) to integrating cycle carriage into the public transport network. Previous blog posts provide some of the detail of earlier (unsuccessful) lobbying campaigns.


So far, Greater Manchester's politicians and transport planners have demonstrated a striking lack of imagination with regards to integrating bicycles and public transport.  TfGM Committee members (local councillors) and officers really do need to catch up with the growing number of European and North American cities who have successfully promoted the (less than revolutionary concept) of enabling people to travel with their bicycles and not just providing bike parking at bus, tram or train stations. What are people supposed to do when they get to their final stop or station and still have one (or more) miles to travel to their final destination ?  Combining bikes and public transport is a really effective solution to the "problem of the last mile."

Other cities are leading the way...... Manchester needs to catch up, fast !

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.....