February 6, 2021 - A new law adopted in France at the beginning of 2021 is set to boost the combination of bikes and trains in the country for decades to come. Developed in parallel to the European Regulation on Rail Passengers’ Rights and Obligations, which was approved on 1st October 2020, the French law will require there to be at least 8 bicycle spaces on most services.
The French requirements generally go beyond what was agreed on the European level (a minimum of 4 bicycles) and should provide inspiration for other countries wanting to do more to encourage the combination of these two sustainable modes of transport. The Loi d’orientation des mobilités (Mobility Orientation Act) will make sure that the improvements are set in motion “for rolling stock that is being purchased or renovated as of March 2021″. While new or renovated trains for which contract notices have been, or will be, issued before March 2021 are technically not covered, SNCF (the French national rail undertaking) has declared that it will put 6-8 spaces in the GV-M trains that they currently have on order .
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