South West Trains Launches UK's First 'Self Service' Brompton Bicycle Rental Scheme
LONDON, July 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
- Guildford Station gets first Brompton bike dock in the country
- Environmentally-friendly design uses solar panels and latest smart card technology
South West Trains has launched the UK's first 'self-service' Brompton Bicycle rental scheme with the introduction of an innovative bike dock at Guildford Station today (Thursday 7th July).
The environmentally-friendly solar-powered Brompton bike dock marks the latest stage of a long-running partnership between South West Trains and folding bike manufacturer, Brompton Bicycle.
South West Trains initially joined forces with Brompton Bicycle in a bid to encourage passengers to cycle as part of a fully integrated low carbon journey combining bike and train. The company offers bikes for hire to South West Trains rail season ticket holders and the general public. These bikes have no travel restrictions and can be carried on all South West Trains services. However, all folding cycles must be stowed as luggage.
Now, passengers at Guildford station are the first in the country to be offered one of the 80 Brompton bikes for rent through the self-service dock scheme as part of the strategy to promote cycling as an eco-friendly last-mile feeder link to and from the station.
The Brompton dock makes maximum use of the space at Guildford station, using only one car parking space to store up to 80 bikes. The dock is a 'self-contained' unit entirely powered by solar-panels, manufactured in the UK and is made from 95% of recycling material. The bikes are securely enclosed behind a silver-grey façade and are displayed in lockers.
Passengers who want to cycle to or from Guildford station and use the dock should register and purchase a smartcard online http://pilot.bromptondock.co.uk/pilot.php from only £1.60 a day. They can then use the card to open an available locker at Guildford station.
Phil Dominey, Stakeholder Manager for South West Trains said: "Brompton bikes have already proved to be a success on our network. This is the first time in the UK that Brompton bikes will be available from a self-service dock and we believe this will make it easier for people to cycle to or from Guildford station. It is another step to encourage more passengers to think of alternatives to the car."
Mark Antwis, Managing Director for Brompton Docks said: "In the last 10 years, bike journeys have increased 10 fold. This is the first Brompton dock in the country and we believe this will make bike journeys even more attractive and set people free by providing a ready to ride high quality Brompton bike to rent."
http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk
Notes to Editors
Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs around 35,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.
Stagecoach is one of UK's biggest bus and coach operators. Around 2.5 million passengers travel on Stagecoach's 8,400 buses every day on a network stretching from south-west England to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The company's business includes major city bus operations in London, Liverpool, Newcastle, Hull, Manchester, Oxford, Sheffield and Cambridge.
Stagecoach is a major UK rail operator, running the South West Trains, Island Line and East Midlands Trains networks. It has a 49% shareholding in Virgin Rail Group, which operates the West Coast inter-city rail franchise.
Stagecoach is also Britain's biggest tram operator, running networks in both Sheffield and Manchester.
Brompton Bicycles Ltd
Brompton Bicycle is a bicycle manufacturer based in Brentford, London. It is notable for its unique design of folding bicycle and for being the last transport manufacturer of any kind based in the London. All Bromptons are designed and built to order and are sold in 33 countries worldwide.
For more detail see: http://www.brompton.co.uk
Brompton Dock Ltd
Brompton Dock is a new start-up company part owned by Brompton Bicycles Ltd, that specialises in the development and sales of automated bike hire units for Brompton bikes.
For more detail see: http://pilot.bromptondock.co.uk/pilot.php
For media enquiries please contact: Stagecoach Group Communications on 017-38-442-111 or email: [email protected]
SOURCE South West Trains
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