Friday 7 December 2018

Bikes on trains: an EU advance

Thanks to the December edition of Railfuture magazine, I now know that in November the European Parliament approved enhancements to the existing EU rail regulation on rights and obligations. Sadly, the Commission did not choose to interfere with private companies' ability to restrict through-ticketing. However, the revisions do strengthen the rights of disabled passengers and also impose a minimum of eight bicycle spaces per train on new and refurbished sets. I am pleased to say that the UK's Labour contingent of MEPs voted for the amendments but dismayed that all the Conservatives present, whose government in Westminster preaches the benefits of cycling, voted against. A lone UKIP MEP also voted against.

The full proposal is here. One wonders whether it will be applied to the UK or vanish with Brexit like the anti-money laundering regulations due to come into force next year.

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