Green travel encouraged by ONE (train company) (1 Viewer)

Good to see the train operator ONE removing the charge for bicycles carried on their trains from Jan 2nd, to encourage 'green' travel.

For anyone not familiar with their routes, this company runs trains to Darsham (6 miles from Minsmere), Sheringham (about 8 miles from Cley) and through the Yare valley (Strumpshaw, Cantley etc) to the east coast (Breydon, Horsey etc)...

Thanks for posting this Karl - come spring I may bring my bike up to the Broads.

James

Congrats on this move. Thanks for posting positive news as it inspires others to press for similar changes.

There is, however, always a caveat. What does the above result in. Energy savings?

There was a study here in Canada about building a high speed train between two cities in Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton. On the surface it sounds great but what the study showed was that it would lead to MORE people travelling between the two cities and not so much replacing existing auto traffic. Students could now take a course in the other city's university, people attend a hockey game for the evening and so on. Any energy savings from reduced auto traffic are more than gobbled up by increased demand for the new service.

I'm completely ignorant of the example you provided and this probably does not apply...but sometimes the increasing of transportation options and opportunities does not divide the pie differently but adds to the size of the pie. Air travel did not only replace sea travel but resulted in 346 times more travel across the oceans. More fuel efficient airplanes, in turn, does not result in energy savings but in cheaper air fares which results in greater demand and increased numbers of flight.

The bottom line is (of which I know nothing) will more people now be incline to take a trip on these trains because they can take their bicycle wheras before they would have stayed in their own town are rode their bicycle?

(I ride my bicycle when and where I can.)

KCMcgee said:

The bottom line is (of which I know nothing) will more people now be incline to take a trip on these trains because they can take their bicycle wheras before they would have stayed in their own town are rode their bicycle?

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I think the limit on the number of cycles per train might deter the masses from taking advantage of the free offer - any idea what the limit is, Karl?

its about 4 bikes on the local trains ie. Norwich to Lowestoft etc - more on the bigger Intercity (or whatever they're called nowadays ... ie. Norwich to London) trains where there is a decent sized storage area

buta tandem might still be a bit tricky

KC, to be honest i dont really think it'll make an awful lot of difference. The biggest 'winners' here will be commuters who'll still bike / train to work but just pay less for it. Perhaps its just a bit of PR to hide the fact they put all the standard ticket prices up, i dunno, but anything that promotes cycling and maybe gets a few more cars off the road is good in my book... So its there if anyone's birding in Norfolk too

And maybe one day they'll even catch up with the Dutch

Karl J said:

its about 4 bikes on the local trains ie. Norwich to Lowestoft etc

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That's not bad. At one time some of the smaller, one and two-coach units only had space for one cycle - not too good for cycling couples!

When did these bicycle charges come into action? I used to commute into London from 1991-98 with my bike and was never charged for it. Last time I took a bike on a train was a couple of times in 2003 in Kent, again, no charge.

I own a Bropton Folding bike, no problem taking it onto any train (or bus for that matter) it just stows in the luggage racks and the front pannier would almost take the kitchen sink!, I have used a brompton sice 1997 and the machines have taken me on 70 mile plus trips throughout the lake district and the cotswolds.

SW