Brompton cycles for hire at railway stations

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Reading Chronicle:

Fold-up bikes plan in the works

A fold-up bike hire scheme could soon be opening outside Reading Station.

Manufacturers Brompton is joining forces with First Great Western to install cycle docks outside the busy station. The two parties are meeting for further talks later this month, but Brompton is confident it will have the scheme up and running in the summer.

The bikes would be available to members who have registered online with a credit card. They would use a text message pin system to reserve and hire a bike, with payment taken automatically depending on how long they use it.

Marketing manager Sila Hilal said: "You can use it as and when you like and keep it for as long as you like. Cycling is popular, but sustainable transport is getting more and more improtant.

"With this scheme, people will be able to pick up a bike at the station and use it around Reading or even fold it up, take it on the train and use it to cycle to and from their destination at the other end."

Various memberships would be available - trial, occasional and frequent rider - with a range of tariffs including daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. But Brompton stress the cost and scale of the scheme is still to be decided, as is the location of the docks, which might need to be move after the Reading Station improvements are complete.

Brompton ran a pilot scheme in Guildford, with partners South West Trains, last year and this week opened its second Brompton Dock in Manchester, where it is working with Virgin Trains. The company is planning to launch 13 more - including in Reading, Oxford, Southampton and Bristol - by the end of the year.


Brompton Dock managing director Mark Antwis with Transport Minister Normal Baker at Brompton Bikes in Manchester

Reading Borough Council leader Tony Page said the train operator will have to think hard about storage space for the bikes on its already crowded services if it is going to encourage passengers to carry them on board.

The council is awaiting the outcome of its bid to fund sustainable transport initiatives in the borough, including a bike hire scheme, which could include docking stations at Reading University, Reading College, Green Park, Thames Valley Business Park and other mayor employment hubs. The council is expecting a response from the Government in the summer.

[JayMac]

What an excellent idea!

Let's see some central government funding for a national scheme of folding bike hire (it's green Dave, innit?) With incentives to use the scheme in conjunction with rail travel.

I've witnessed three occasions recently where full sized bike users have been denied access to a train because of insufficient space.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Times:

Cycle scheme for commuters

A scheme allowing people to hire Brompton bicycles is due to be launched at Oxford rail station.

Brompton Dock, a sister firm of the Brompton cycle company, will offer a fully-automated system allowing users 24 hour access to folding bikes which can be taken on trains during peak times.

The scheme is being launched on October 17 in partnership with First Great Western and will be one of a nationwide network.

[TonyK]

Saw them at Temple Meads today. I'm sure they weren't there Saturday.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Folding Brompton bike rental scheme begins at Bristol station

A scheme to hire out folding bicycles to commuters has been introduced at Bristol Temple Meads railway station.

Passengers are able to rent Brompton bikes after having pre-registered and paid.

Bristol is the sixth location in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) where the scheme has been introduced. It will be officially launched on Tuesday.

The project is a partnership between First Great Western and Brompton Dock - a sister company of Brompton Bicycles.

Steve Tyler, from First Great Western, said it would "encourage cycling while enabling more people to bring a bike on board our services".

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Oxford Times:

Brompton hire plans delayed

Plans to install 40 foldable bikes for hire at Oxford Station have been delayed.

Ruth Hardy, of Brompton Dock, the firm behind the plan, said paperwork had been given to First Great Western, which manages the station, for an unveiling next Wednesday. Commuters will have to wait at least a fortnight now, she said.

First Great Western spokesman Jane Jones said: ^We are disappointed that the Brompton Dock cannot be installed next week. It is important that all the correct paperwork is completed. This is being done and the dock will be in position as quickly as possible.^

Passengers book a bike by text and pay ^1.67 for up to ^8 a day.

No, it doesn't make sense to me either.  CfN. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

From ITV News:

Bike hire scheme launches in Bristol


The scheme will be available to passengers who register in advance Photo: ITV News

When Boris Johnson launched his bike hire scheme in London he created an icon on a par with the city's world renowned taxis and buses.

Today a similar system was launched in Bristol and Exeter. First Great Western passengers, who must pre-register and pay, will be able to rent these folding Brompton bikes from docks at the station.

Mark Antwis of Brompton Dock Ltd says "It's a different concept from the normal cycle hire scheme where one would take a bike out and you can keep it with you for longer."

A free bike hire scheme that ran in Bristol four years ago was a failure - but First Great Western says times are changing.

Mike Holmes: "It wasn't very successful but I think Bristol as a city and a cycling city has moved on quite a pace since then and I think that was part of the reason for the failure - we weren't ready for it at the time."

Independent local cycle hire is already a successful tourist industry that stimulates the region's economy. But whether it will work for commuters remains to be seen.

Although Bristol won ^22m in 2008 and was given Cycling City status, many still feel the roads are too risky and prefer the safety of their cars.

Today a conference at Bristol's council house heard how only 3% of journeys are made by bike in UK^▸ (United Kingdom) towns, compared with 40% in Holland, where there are more bikes than people.

Dutch traffic engineer Vim Van der Wijk believes if only 5% more people take up cycling in Bristol it would solve the city's congestion problems.

Clearly we have a long way to go before we become like Holland - but these pink folding bikes are certainly a step in the right direction.

[ray951]

I see that a Brompton Dock has been installed at Oxford station.
It is located outside of the station next to the current bicycle lockers.
I don't know whether the Bromptons are available for hire yet but further details can be found here http://www.bromptondock.co.uk/

Could be useful in a city such as Oxford although of course they could be taken on the train as well.

[IndustryInsider]

About 6 months after the facility was being advertised as open on posters at the station, but never mind, they're finally being installed.  40 bike lockers in total.  Good news.

[ray951]

Just been to have a closer look and notice that it was installed with the Bromptons in place and they also appear to have a unique colour scheme which is presumably to deter selling on ebay

Also the tariffs listed on the side of the dock don't match those listed on the Dock website

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks for your update on the Brompton situation at Oxford, ray951. 

I've moved your topic here and merged it with this existing discussion, purely in the interests of clarity and continuity.

[chrisoates]

Exeter St Davids has them - don't know why - when visiting the City it's easier to take the train to Exeter Central and walk.