Ekdog

Here in Spain we don't pay extra for our bikes on the local trains, but on other trains we're charged a fee and the number of bikes allowed on each train is strictly limited. The high-speed AVE trains only allow folders, and they must be put into a bag. What's the situation like where you live?

To judge by what has happened in Denmark, allowing bikes on for free makes more sense. It turns out more people take the train if they can take their bike along with them.

Copenhagenize.com - Bicycle Culture by Design: Massive Passenger Increase After Bikes Allowed Free on Trains

B. Carfree

First off, we don't have much in the way of train service. A couple of Cascades roll north in the morning (Amtrak trains that are subsidized by Oregon and Washington and one Coast Starlight each way (Seattle to L.A.). The Cascades have a minimal charge ($5-10) but also limited bike numbers. You pay your fee and hand the bike up to the baggage car to be hung on a hook.

Up until recently, the Coast Starlight required bike to be in boxes. Amtrak would sell you a box for $10 and then charge $15 to take the bike on the train. I'm told that they have now put bike hooks in the baggage cars so the bikes are taken just like on the Cascades.

Those seemingly tiny charges do add up. They don't affect me, but I imagine there are people who regularly take the train from here to either Portland or Salem and they might just add up to enough to discourage bringing a bike along and just using Uber or some such at the ends.

Dahon.Steve

The trains in New Jersey and New York don't charge for bikes. However, they won't allow them on rush hour (New Jersey trains only) unless they are folding bikes. In a way, we are kind of fortunate everyone does not bring their bikes on the train during rush hour or there would be space for people!!

Multi-mode travel using folding bikes and trains needs to be promoted. The transit companies have a golden opportunity to increase ridership.

Walter S

Amtrak in my area allows bicycles if your starting and ending points have baggage service. Then you buy a (reusable) box for $15 and pay a $10 dollar fee to check the bicycle as baggage.

wahoonc

Only trains I have used has been Amtrak, and my situation was similar to what WalterS posted. However Amtrak has apparently started a roll on service where they have bike storage in the baggage cars on some routes. I have not seen nor used that yet.

I have used the MBTA(Boston, MA), off peak they allow full sized bikes (on some lines), folders only at peak. I have done it both ways, folder is the way to go.

Aaron

Ekdog

The interesting thing about the article I linked to is that train ridership in Denmark has surged ever since they did away with fees. I suspect the same would happen with Amtrak if they did away with those boxes and fees and actually promoted train-bike travel. The roll-on service that Wahoonc mentioned sounds like a step in the right direction.

Walter S

Agree. IMO they should also let you reserve a place for the bike when you buy a ticket instead of telling you "no more space for bikes". I might rather box/check if that's the only guaranteed space for my bicycle.

Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by wahoonc

Only trains I have used has been Amtrak, and my situation was similar to what WalterS posted.However Amtrak has apparently started a roll on service where they have bike storage in the baggage cars on some routes. I have not seen nor used that yet.

I have used the MBTA (Boston, MA), off peak they allow full sized bikes (on some lines), folders only at peak. I have done it both ways, folder is the way to go.

Aaron

Here is a link to the MBTA policy for bicycles on subways and Commuter Rail; for fully assembled bikes with no additional charge. The Commuter Rail lines extend for up to about 50 miles from downtown in a every direction except East and take the passengers to some excellent cycle areas (as I have described in my informal Cycling Guide to Metro Boston linked below).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

…. the Transportation Authority (MBTA) allows bikes on subways and commuter trains with certain restrictions and that's a nice way to get out of town without cityriding. MBTA > Riding the T > Bikes on the T

ADDENDUM: See also this post about local bikepaths / MUPS in the City of Boston proper, and nearby.

I would describe the sectors as (mostly for road riding outside of Rte 128):…

Also the Amtrak Downeaster Route along the coast from Boston to Portland allows bikes, and they may also be fully assembled, but I’m not sure:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amtrak

A limited number of spaces are available to transport bicycles on some Downeaster Trains. Bicycles are handled at Brunswick, Portland, and Boston North Station ONLY. Advanced reservations are required, and a $5.00 service charge applies.

My workplace 14 miles from downtown where we live is a two minute bike ride from the train station, and the other station is about 10 minutes from home in Boston; otherwise it’s about about a one hour bike ride. In addition, we vacation in the coastal resort town of Rockport, and it’s a great 40 mile ride from Boston, and an hour by train, with a station about 2 miles from home in Boston, and about 1 mile from the destination in Rockport.

BTW, @Aaron (and other subscribers) as I have mentioned in the past, feel free to look me up when in Boston, best with a day or two advance notice.

Seattle Forrest

Of course more people will use a service if they don't have to pay for it than if they do. Are you saying that transportation for your vehicle isn't worth paying for?

Walter S

He does not mention having a vehicle, so I think you misunderstand.

prathmann

In our area (San Francisco Bay), the train service has been improving with regard to carrying bikes. The local el/subway (BART) originally relegated bikes to only the rear of the last car and only during non-rush periods. Now bikes are allowed in all but the first car and at all operating hours. CalTrain in the south bay has cars with designated bike spaces and has gradually been increasing the capacity for bikes although I believe some trains are still filling up leaving riders unable to board. Neither BART nor CalTrain charges extra for bikes. Both systems also provide secure bike lockers at stations but availability can be limited.

On Amtrak the service depends on the particular train. The commuter (Capitol Corridor) train has bike racks toward the ends of some of the cars so you just wheel the bike in and hang it up with no charge. OTOH, the Coast Starlight carries bikes in the baggage car so they can only be accessed at the subset of stations with baggage service. The baggage cars now have bike hooks so boxes are no longer required but there is an extra fee (~$15) and reservation.

Seattle Forrest

This thread is about taking your personal vehicle on the train. Read the thread title.

Walter S

Yes I didn't get your meaning. You don't have to think your bicycle is not worth paying to transport in order to enjoy not having to.

Ekdog

Other items travel for free: luggage, prams, golf clubs...

wahoonc

Plan on it... when I get back up that way! My son still lives in the city, he is now a "Southie". I haven't been back in 4 years since my job changed, my son and daughter come home once a year of the holidays so I have to call that good.

Aaron

B. Carfree

I haven't seen a whole lot of bikes on the Capitol Corridor trains when I've been on them. Perhaps people aren't using that train for multi-modal commutes that work a bike in yet and that will change over time, especially as car traffic in the Bay Area continues to move slower and slower.

Maybe Americans are just a little bit slower off the mark than Danes.

Jim from Boston

As I noted above, bikes are allowed on the Commuter Rail in Boston during off-peak hours, i.e. the reverse commuter direction, outbound from downtown. In my decades of using the train (the Franklin Line), I have not seen an increase in bikes, either inbound at night or outbound in the morning. Usually I'm the only rider with a bike, and maybe at most 5-10% of my trips have another bike on board, with no increased frequency over the years.

BTW, FYA, @B. Carfree, and other subscribers, this post appeared just this morning on the Fifty-Plus thread,Cambridge, MA was ranked 8th; Boston, 17th ; and Eugene OR, 18th.

Ty0604

I paid $40 to bring my bike on Amtrak from Portland to San Diego. The ticket itself was only $75 but a lot cheaper than flying and shipping your bike. $115 it getting myself and my bike to San Diego in February to start the Southern Tier. Only have to switch trains once, in LA.

gregf83 

Bikes are restricted to 1-2 bikes/car depending on the train. Some trains have no time restrictions, others don't allow bikes during rush hour in the busy direction. No charge for bikes. Some restrictions at certain stations where it's not suitable to bring bikes.

Robert C

You forget that there is much more to the equation that simply deciding if one values transportation for their vehicle. Most people are not making a choice between transportation/no-transportation. They are trying to decide on the best of several available transportation alternatives.

Like it or not, auto transportation is heavily subsidized. As such it weighs heavily in the equation for most people. When deciding on using the train and using a bicycle for last-mile (which can, of course, be more than one mile) or driving, the extra charges are part of the decision.

Seattle Forrest

What's with this "auto transportation is heavily subsidized" business, we're talking about bikes and trains.

fastturtle

Here in Switzerland it is basically possible to take your bike in almost all trains, although there are restrictions at peak hours in the Zürich S-Bahn. However it is not free. You have to pay for your bike the same ticket as for yourself, or, for longer trips, you can have a day card for 18 CHF (=18 USD). Space is also limited, and in some trains you have to book your space in advance for an extra 5 CHF. You can carry a folded bike for free though. In theory it has to be packed in a cover, but in practice they rarely insist on that; in 3 years of commuting with a Brompton, I have been ordered to wrap it only twice.

In comparison, in France where I also travel often, bikes are transported for free in regional TER, while in TGV you need a reservation with a charge. And some TGV only have room for bikes, and never enough.

What is best ?

Sure it is very nice to be able to carry your bike for free. But it works only as long as cyclists are a small minority of all users. When the trains get crowded, an unfolded bike takes the space of 1 or 2 people. The possibility to take your bike with you e.g. in holidays is essential. But for daily commuting it is a nonsense as it takes too much space, therefore it seems fair to have to pay for it as a way to somehow limit the practice. It then becomes more sensible, either to use a folding bike (I can store my Brompton under the seats if needed) or to have one bike at each end of the train commute.

Robert C

When choosing whether to take the train, many people consider costs to them. In particular, the question: was asked. I was directly addressing that question. Most people consider these things.

Trains do not exist separate from all other transportation options. They are one of may transportation options. For me they are not a particularly useful option due to the limitation of only being able to use stations that offer freight handling services.

I also do not use the train as much as I could because the route I would take has a long layover, about ten hours. The problem is that I am not allowed to sleep on the benches at the station while I wait for my connection. The stations suggestion that I "take a cab to a hotel" is not reasonable due to both the cost and the limited amount of time that I would have to sleep after considering of the "transaction costs" in terms of time. As such, I arrive at my destination quite fatigued. I tried the train a couple of times, now I just fly.

As far as bikes on trains, because I am getting off at a rural station, I am only allowed folding bikes. For me, the train doesn't work well.

Ekdog

Bikes needn't take up that much space. If there are hooks to hang them on or racks, for example, you can pack quite a few into quite a small space.

SamSpade1941 

I know the Amtrak Cascades allows it, I keep saying I am going to take mine with me on a weekend trip , but I have not done so yet. Here is the table from Amtrak detailing which trains allow you to bring them on board.