On 4 October 2024, the UIC Customer Experience Working Group (CEMP) hosted an online workshop entitled “Optimising Bike and Luggage Transportation in Railway Systems”. This workshop brought together industry leaders, mobility experts, and policymakers to address the potential challenges and opportunities when integrating bicycles into railway systems, aiming to enhance the customer experience and promote sustainable multimodal transport solutions.
Jan Brumagne, from the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, outlined the recent European transport initiatives supporting the carriage of bicycles on trains, including Regulation 2021/782. This regulation strengthens passenger rights and encourages the retrofitting of train coaches to better accommodate bicycles. The EU’s efforts reflect a broader commitment to sustainable mobility by making cycling an essential part of train journeys across Europe.
Fabian Küster, from the European Cyclists’ Federation, highlighted the growing demand for bike carriage options among cyclists. He emphasised the importance of minimising emissions from first and last mile journeys (either side of the main mode of transport), urging for cooperation between the bicycle and railway sectors. Küster proposed a multi-faceted approach that addresses hardware (rolling stock, stations, and infrastructure), software (communication, policies, and digital tools), and organisational components (staff training for bike management). These improvements would significantly enhance the railways’ appeal to cyclists.
From an industry perspective, Alessandro Vannucchi, from Hitachi, shared insights into innovative train design that prioritises accessibility and inclusivity. Vannucchi discussed ergonomic, modular designs and multipurpose areas in trains, which allow more space for bicycles and luggage while ensuring passenger comfort and safety.
The workshop also featured contributions from UIC members from Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Belgium, Slovenia and the Netherlands, who shared their experience of the main challenges and strategies for improving bicycle integration. The key policies discussed included refurbishing trains, ensuring inclusivity for different types of bicycles, and adjusting services to meet seasonal and route-specific demands. The solutions presented ranged from secure bicycle parking at stations to bike-friendly fares, better signage, and integrating bike reservations into booking apps. The goal was to meet cyclist needs while maintaining operational efficiency and punctuality.
Maria Gusarova, UIC Senior Stations Advisor, then gave a presentation on the European project Rail4Cities, offering a valuable insight into making stations multimodal hubs. Again, improving signage, offering secure bike parking, and introducing bike services at stations were suggested as ways to create non-commercial incentives to attract more cyclists to the railways.
Throughout the workshop, partnership was highlighted as the key to achieving solutions that improve customer experience while making railways more sustainable and adaptable to modern mobility needs. The event underscored the importance of working together to create a more cyclist-friendly railway system, benefiting both passengers and the environment.
More information about the programme and the presentations are available at “Optimising bikes and luggage CEMP Workshop”. For a more detailed summary of the workshop, please fill in the following survey on bike and luggage management.
Over the past four years, under the leadership of Jörg Ostwald, Head of Product, Services, and Events at the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) Passenger Department and CEMP Chair, the project members have been working together on an international level to share ideas and enhance the customer experience. This ongoing partnership has recently resulted in the launch of a new opt-in initiative designed to build on current progress. Starting in 2025, this new phase of the project will focus on developing international key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure and improve customer satisfaction across the rail sector. It will run over the next three years and is open to all UIC members interested in participating.
For more information about the CEMP project, please visit UIC CEMP Project.
