WRITTEN QUESTION E-0162/98 by Anita Pollack (PSE) to the Commission (2 February 1998)

Subject: Combined bicycle and rail travel

In the interest of seeking to curb private car use, does the Commission have any plans to require train operators to offer bicycle access on trains and to abolish extra charges for this?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (12 March 1998)

On grounds of subsidiarity and because the Commission wishes to promote a commercially minded approach among train operators, the Commission has no current plans to propose the imposition of requirements of the kind outlined by the Honourable Member.

As set out in the 'The Citizens' Network' green paper ((COM(95) 601 final. )), the Commission aims to encourage people to choose public transport, cycling or walking for more of their journeys. Making it easier to combine the use of bicycles and trains is an useful way of doing that, and the carriage of bicycles on trains has a role to play alongside measures to improve cycle storage at stations.

The Commission's view is that there are two appropriate ways to encourage the carriage of bicycles on trains. First, public authorities may include requirements to do this when they specify public services to be provided by operators. In line with the Community's general approach to public services, it is for authorities in Member States to define the services they wish to see provided. Requirements should be clearly defined, and operators compensated if fulfilling the requirement causes net costs.

Second, the Commission wishes to encourage train operators to carry bicycles because it could often be in their own commercial interests since, demand among cyclists for the ability to travel by rail with their bicycles can be substantial. Through its policies to promote the Citizens' Network, the Commission aims to help to make such arrangements more common. A specific example is its recent decision to provide grant-aid for the planning phase of the EuroVelo international cycle routes project, sponsored by the European Cyclists' Federation. One of the main objectives of this project is to promote cycle tourism and that should increase the demand for transport of cycles by train to key points on each cycle route, a factor which will be specifically taken into account in the planning of the network.

An obligatory European requirement for train operators to carry bicycles would impose high costs on operators if the design of the trains or heavy usage made carriage of bicycles impractical. A requirement to carry bicycles without charge, as suggested by the Honourable Member, could reduce the revenues earned by some operators. In achieving the objectives of the Citizens' Network, it is vital to promote a business-like approach among train operators and the external imposition of requirements of this kind without compensation, however desirable in their own right, would contradict to this approach.

The Commission is currently managing a research cooperation project on passenger accessibility of heavy rail systems (COST 335) with a view to developing European standards for the design and operation of trains, stations and information services. While the main focus of the project is the needs of people with reduced mobility, it is likely that many of the train design features examined will also benefit people with bicycles.