Travelling with your bike

Customers are not permitted to bring E-scooters onto GWR trains or stations.

This follows a number of incidents on the UK rail and tube network where lithium-ion batteries in E-scooters have been associated with severe overheating, increasing the risk of fire.

If unchecked, this carries particular risks in enclosed spaces on board trains.

Unlike other personal mobility devices such as E-bikes or mobility scooters, E-scooters are not currently regulated, and are not required to meet minimum safety standards for vehicles.

Customers bringing E-scooters onto GWR trains or stations will be asked to leave. Unattended E-scooters will be treated as abandoned and will be safely disposed of.

• Bikes can't be kept in the areas by the doors.
• You can bring a folding bike with a maximum 20-inch wheel without any restriction, make sure you fold it before boarding.
• We can’t accept bikes on replacement buses, check for engineering work before you travel.
• Please refer to our cycle and scooter policy (for travel from May 2023 to 31 August 2025 (PDF, 427 KB) or for travel from 1 September 2025 (PDF, 1 MB)) for advice on accepted bike sizes and types.

• You should be on the platform at least 5 minutes before your train is due to leave.
• Be in the right place to board. Our staff can let you know where bike spaces will stop, as will some of our information screens.
• Cycling isn’t allowed anywhere in the station.

A bike reservation is strongly recommended and we cannot guarantee storage without one.

Read the instruction posters. Secure your bike using the metal hoops provided.

Road legal electric bicycles (also known as E-bikes, including e-folding bikes) can be taken on the train.

These are E-bikes that are pedal-assisted with a motor that generates a maximum continuous rated power output of 250 watts and do not provide electrical assistance when travelling at more than 15.5 mph.

For the safety of yourself and other passengers:

• Electrically modified or adapted E-bikes are not permitted on trains
• Charging of E-bikes is not permitted on trains or at stations
• The battery must not be removed from the bike, unless designed to do so for folding purposes (e.g. a Brompton folding bike)
• E-bikes with a damaged battery cannot be carried
• Spare batteries cannot be carried
• You must use the normal designated cycle storage areas on trains, ensuring the bike does not block entrances, exits or aisleway access for passengers
• Do not lock your bike to any part of the train, in case of the need to remove the bike quickly from the train in an emergency.

• Bikes are stored in Carriage A, secure your bike with the strap provided but don’t lock it up.
• Tell the Train Manager your destination.
• Remind them when your stop is coming up and they’ll make sure you can leave the train safely.

There is space for at least 2 full-size bikes on each train.

Unreserved bikes cannot be carried on trains:

• arriving at London Paddington between 07:30 and 09:30
• departing London Paddington between 16:00 and 19:00.

Bikes are carried on all other services on a first-come, first-served basis. Look for the bike symbol on the exterior door.

You can hire Bainton Bikes from the following stations:

• Oxford
• Kemble
• Kingham
• Moreton-in-Marsh
• Cheltenham Spa

View more about Bainton Bikes hire.

If you’re visiting London, use your credit or debit card to hire one of Transport for London’s docked public bikes.

View more about Santander Cycles.

You can hire bikes from the following stations:

• Cornwall, Hereford, Plymouth, Portsmouth, and Southampton – Beryl Bikes
• Barnstaple – Tarka Bikes
• Cheltenham Spa – Bicycle Hub