Taking your bicycle on the train

Combining train and bicycle to get to your destination is becoming increasingly popular. European law is keeping up with this trend. Obligations for the railway companies and for the traveller are meant to facilitate bicycle transport.

Obligations of the railway companies

• Railway companies that put new trains into service or upgrade their existing rolling stock must provide space for bicycle transport.
  
  
• Railway companies must not refuse to take bicycles on board the train. They may charge a reasonable fee for this service. The situation is different when the railway company can reasonably justify the refusal to take bicycles on board for safety and operational reasons (e.g. peak hours, capacity of the carriages).

Good to know: won’t a railway company let you board the train with your bicycle? You have the same rights as in the case of cancellation, delay or missed connection.

Your obligations

• Your bicycle must remain within the maximum limits in terms of dimensions and weight. The railway companies must publish this information on their official websites.
  
  
• You must stow your bicycle in the designated places. Are those places not available? If so, you must keep your bicycle under supervision and ensure that it does not inconvenience:
• other passengers
• their mobility equipment
• access to luggage
• rail operations