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Last updated: 07:21
Bringing a bike on board Great Northern trains

Bringing a bike or scooter

Feel free to travel with a folding bike, scooter or e-scooter any time. But if you want to bring a regular cycle or non-folding scooter or e-scooter on board, there are some restrictions you should know about.

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 scooter & e-scooter policy

To keep all of our customers and staff safe, we don't allow scooters and e-scooters to be ridden at our stations or on board our trains.

If you need to transport your scooter or e-scooter on board our trains, we have limits at peak times, please see our cycle policy below for further details. This policy also applies to non-folding scooters and e-scooters.

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

For safety reasons, we can’t take scooters and e-scooters on rail replacement vehicles such as buses. Please check for any engineering works before you travel.

Again, for the safety of both customers and our staff, we don't allow the charging of e-scooters at stations or on board our trains, due to the potential fire risk. e-scooters may not be left unattended at any time. Thanks for keeping each other safe.

Our cycle policy

If you have a fully folding cycle, 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 cycle 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 cycles on rail replacement buses. Please check for any engineering works before you travel.

I need to take my cycle 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 cycle
  • Travelling earlier or later to avoid peak times
  • Buying two cycles 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 cycle?

Sorry, no. While we aim to provide safe and secure bike parking, ultimately your cycle is left at your own risk.

Parking your bike at the station

There are secure cycle parking facilities at many of our stations - find yours now

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More about travelling on Great Northern

Travelling with luggage

See our guide to bringing bags

Station information

Including addresses, maps and opening times

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