Bikes are no longer welcome on Wessex Trains peak services according to an article on the BBC.

The ban will affect services arriving in Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Plymouth and Truro which run between seven and nine am and four and six pm. Wessex Trains has said that the ban is due to increasing passenger numbers: bikes simply take up too much space.

The company’s Managing Director commented: “Our peak services into the major towns and cities we serve have become very busy and we need to provide a balance for the benefit of all passengers.”

In an effort to ease the news for cyclists the train company has ended the previous charges for reserving cycle space during non-peak services. But as there’s not necessarily that much overlap between the people who use off-peak services and cycle-commuters during rush hour, it’s unlikely to provide much consolation to commuter-riders.

The cause of the ban highlights the scope there is for developing more bike-friendly carriages. The cycling group Life Cycle, for instance, hopes to persuade train operators to move in the direction of including features such as flip-down seats.

Thanks to reader Adam Youd for the tip-off.