July 6, 2021 - Europeans are increasingly looking to combine bikes and trains, one of the most sustainable forms of travelling, for leisure, tourism and mobility trips. But just how easy is that in 2021?

For the first time in 15 years, the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) has systematically analysed the bike-friendliness of 69 European rail companies and services, looking at a range of criteria, including bike carriage, fees charged and booking channels, to come up with a ranking of the most “bike-friendly” rail operators across the continent.

Coinciding with the European Year of Rail, ECF’s new report, “Cyclists love trains: An analysis of the bicycle friendliness of European railway operators,” will act as a crucial guide for industry and policymakers to identify which rail operators roll out the red carpet for passengers with bikes and which ones need to improve their services if they are to meet the needs of a growing number of travellers today.

Join us for an online event to mark the launch of the report and discuss its findings. The event will be moderated by Laura Laker, Guardian contributor and host of Streets Ahead, and will include a presentation of the report, a keynote speech and a panel discussion with high-level speakers.

Event details:

• Wednesday, 7 July 2021
• 11:00 – 12:15 CEST (Brussels time)
• Online – register here

Agenda:

Moderator: Laura Laker, journalist, the Guardian contributor and host of Streets Ahead

Part 1: Introduction, presentation of the report and keynote speech

• Opening remarks by Jill Warren, ECF CEO
• Introduction by Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg, Member of the European Parliament and Rapporteur for the European Year of Rail
• Presentation of the report by Fabian Küster, ECF Director of Advocacy, and Charles Carnegie, ECF Policy Intern
• Keynote speech by Isabella Grahsl, Head of Business Performance and Development at Deutsche Bahn Connect, Germany

Part 2: Panel discussion

• Lisbeth Blum, Senior Manager of Product Innovation at DB Regio AG , Germany
• Denis Brachet, Intermodality Manager at SNCB-NMBS, Belgium
• Thierry du Crest, Interministerial Coordinator for the development of bicycle use at the Ministry of the Ecological Transition, France
• János Földiák, Head of Service Development at MÁV-START, Hungary
• Zornitza Dimitrova, Legal Officer at the Social Aspects, Passenger Rights & Equal Opportunities Unit of the European Commission DG MOVE

Closing speech: Georges Gilkinet, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mobility

Closing remarks: Henk Swarttouw, ECF President

This event is part of the European Year of Rail 2021: