Taking a Bike on a Train | Cycle on a Train

Bringing a bike on board Great Northern trains

Bringing a bike or manual scooter

For everyone’s safety, bikes and manual scooters should never be ridden on our stations or onboard. We also ask that any lights on your bike or manual scooter are switched off when you are at our stations as they could distract our staff from carrying out safety-related duties.

Please continue reading for information regarding our e-scooter, e-unicycle, e-skateboard and hoverboard policy.

Other transport companies may have different policies, so be sure to check your onward journeys.

Please check our separate guidance on mobility aid scooters.

Our bike policy

If you have a fully folding bike, you’re welcome to bring it on board any of our trains. Just be sure to fold and carry your bike before going through the ticket gates and when doing so, please make sure you use the wide aisle gate as this provides more space and time for you to walk through.

By ‘fully folding’, we mean a bike that has small wheels and folds in more than one place.

Unfortunately we don’t always have space for non-folding bikes.

When we can't carry non-folding bikes

To make sure there is space for all our passengers at times when our trains are busiest, we don’t allow non-folding bikes:

at any time between Drayton Park and Moorgate. This is for safety reasons and complies with Transport for London’s policy of not permitting non-folding bicycles on any deep tube sections of London Underground. Highbury & Islington, Old Street and Moorgate stations are all managed by London Underground
on trains south of Stevenage or Hertford North timed to arrive in London between 07:00 and 09:30 Monday to Friday, except on public holidays
on trains timed to leave London between 16:00 and 19:00 Monday to Friday, except on public holidays
on trains that are timed to arrive at Cambridge station between 07:45 and 08:45 Monday to Friday (except on public holidays) from King's Lynn, Watlington, Downham Market, Littleport, Ely, Waterbeach or Cambridge North

You can take a bike with you at any time of day between Stevenage and Hertford North*.

If you’re bringing your bike on the train, please don’t lock it to any part of the train or leave it unattended.

Other restrictions

If your bike would obstruct other passengers when they’re boarding, alighting or standing, we may need to ask you to remove it – or not to bring it on board – even at times when bikes are normally allowed.

If a member of train or station staff asks you to remove your bike from the train, you must do so.

If we can’t let you board because there’s no room for your bike, our staff will help you find another train.

On rail replacement bus services

For safety reasons, we can’t take non-folding bikes on rail replacement buses. Please check for any engineering works before you travel.

I need to take my bike on the train, as I use it to continue my journey at the other end. Can you make an exception?

For the safety of all our passengers, we can’t make exceptions on peak hour restrictions. But we do want to support our passengers who commute by bicycle. You might consider:

Using a folding bike
Travelling earlier or later to avoid peak times
Buying two bikes and keep one at each end of your journey
Making use of London’s self-service bike-sharing scheme, Santander Cycles

If I use a station shelter with CCTV, is Great Northern responsible for my bike?

Our e-scooter, e-unicycle, e-skateboard and hoverboard policy

We understand that you may travel to and from our services in a variety of ways. However, we are committed to keeping you and our people safe, which means all e-scooters, e-unicycles, e-skateboards and hoverboards are not permitted on our trains or in our stations from 1 June 2023.

Why are we banning them?

Under advice from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) and following recommendations by the Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB) and London Fire Brigade, our safety team along with many other rail companies have carried out a review of the risks of these items and decided they should be banned. This is because of the limited regulation around the lithium-ion battery which has the potential to cause harm should it malfunction.

Can I store it at your station whilst I travel?

As they are not safe to have on our stations, we don’t allow them in our storage facilities.

Can I remove the battery and bring it with me?

Even if the battery is removed and carried separately, they are still not permitted due to the risks of the battery malfunctioning and causing a fire.

Can I bring them onto a rail replacement bus?

The companies that provide rail replacement buses have also banned these due to safety concerns. This means you are unable to take these on buses that run during engineering work or disruption.

Are e-bikes and mobility scooters still permitted?

Yes, these are still permitted. Our normal bike and mobility scooter restrictions apply (see above for e-bikes). See our guidance on mobility aid scooters here.

Can I bring my manual (non-powered) scooter or skateboard with me?

Yes, your manual scooter (if fully folded) and skateboard can be brought onboard any of our trains. Remember they should never be ridden onboard or on our stations for everyone’s safety.

Parking your bike at the station

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Bringing a bike or scooter

Bringing a bike or manual scooter

Our bike policy

When we can't carry non-folding bikes

Other restrictions

On rail replacement bus services

Our e-scooter, e-unicycle, e-skateboard and hoverboard policy

Parking your bike at the station

More about travelling on Great Northern

Travelling with luggage

Station information

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