ECF’s recently published
Cyclists Love Trains (CLT) report — a comparative analysis of the bike-friendliness of 67 European rail operators — confirmed what many already suspected: the faster the train, the fewer the opportunities to bring a bicycle on board.
For the first time, the 2025 CLT report put hard numbers to this perception. While traditional Intercity (IC) and Eurocity (EC) trains in the EU/EEA offer an average of six bicycle spaces, that number drops to just 1.1 spaces on high-speed rail (HSR). Of the 14 HSR operators assessed, nine do not allow non-dismantled bicycles at all, including Spain’s Renfe, Italy’s Trenitalia, and Finland’s VR.
Regional trains were not included in the report, but they are likely to provide a considerably higher average number of spaces than long-distance services.
| Train Category |
Average number of bicycle spaces in Europe |
Average number of bicycle spaces in the EU/EEA |
| IC, EC |
4.7 |
6.0 |
| Night-train (NT) |
4.0 |
4.0 |
| High-speed rail (HSR) |
1.0 |
1.1 |
| IC, EC, NT & HSR |
4.3 |
5.2 |
Table 1: Average number of bicycle spaces per train category
HSR and bicycles: Everything but a romance
With the advent of HSR in Western Europe, starting with France’s TGV services in the 1980s, the decline of the bike–train ecosystem began. HSR was designed primarily for business travellers carrying light luggage, not for holidaymakers with bulky suitcases, and certainly not for cyclists. This became a serious problem for cycle tourists as HSR services didn’t complement traditional IC and EC trains, but increasingly replaced them. As a result, regional trains became the only option for passengers wishing to travel with a non-dismantled bicycle. On busy days, this can easily become a modern-day adventure.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Fortunately, the times they are changing, albeit slowly. A crucial decision was made by Deutsche Bahn in the late 2010s to equip all new ICE trains with eight bicycle spaces per train configuration. Today, international ICE trains operating, for example, between Frankfurt am Main and Brussels or Amsterdam all come with dedicated bicycle spaces. Additionally, France and Belgium have enshrined in national legislation that all new domestic trains must offer eight bicycle spaces as well — twice the minimum required under the EU Rail Passengers’ Rights and Obligations regulation, which since June 2025 mandates this standard for all newly procured or renovated rolling stock.
Europe’s push for more HSR: ECF's recommendations
As part of the Green Deal, the European Commission intends to make long-distance travel in Europe more sustainable and encourage people to switch from planes to trains. It has set ambitious targets of doubling the number of HSR passengers by 2030 compared to a decade earlier, and tripling it by 2050.
Achieving this requires huge investments in rail infrastructure, rolling stock, and improved services by, for example, issuing through-tickets for journeys involving multiple rail operators. The idea is to ensure passengers are protected throughout their trip under EU rail passenger rights, including in cases of cancellations or delays.
Earlier this spring, the European Commission held an “
implementation dialogue” and a public consultation “
Connecting Europe through high-speed rail”. This process will result in the publication of a Communication, planned for autumn this year. It will include a “strategic plan to accelerate the implementation of an EU-wide high-speed rail network”.
ECF contributed to the stakeholder consultation and submitted
a policy brief. Our recommendations are:
- Gradually increasing the legal minimum requirement for bicycle carriage on all regional and long-distance trains in the EU from 4 to 8 spaces per train composition;
- Removing technical and regulatory barriers to retrofitting bike spaces on rolling stock servicing cross-border connections;
- Creating a “Single EU Bicycle Ticket” valid across different rail operators;
- Tying EU funding to multimodal accessibility;
- Prioritising bike-rail Integration in TEN-T Regulation implementation processes.
None of the EU policy initiatives launched this year will change your bike ride this summer— or even in the next few years. That’s simply the nature of the railway business. But as the EU Rail Passengers’ Rights Regulation is rolled out, more bike spaces should become available in new or refurbished rolling stock, including on high-speed trains. When that happens, it will be your chance to explore corners of Europe you haven’t yet discovered by bike. Until then, enjoy the ride!
