Cyclists’ Use and Views of Southern Services
Client: Southern, Mar-Apr 2005
Whilst the carriage of bicycles on peak-hour services in the London area has always been discouraged, the exact details of the official Southern policy had become unclear to users over the years. The introduction of new trains, without the traditional guards' vans, brought increased attention to the issue, as did the latest policies on the carriage of the mobility-impaired.
The Railway Consultancy was therefore commissioned by Southern to carry out a count of cyclists, surveying a sample of them to understand their journey patterns, problems and views. Even in the depths of Winter, outer-suburban services arriving at London termini during the morning peak were carrying more than two cycles per train; typical users were middle-aged males going to work, and using their bicycles at both ends of their journey. However, many of them reported problems associated with their journeys, including a lack of appropriate space on trains.
Recommendations were made to Southern both in terms of physical actions which could be taken to make travel by cyclists easier, and in terms of policies and conditions which would make the situation clearer for all those involved - staff and passengers alike.
Last updated: Sunday, 18th December 2016
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