South West Trains Launches UK’s First ‘Self Service’ Brompton Bicycle Rental Scheme

LONDON, July 8, 2011 -

- Guildford Station gets first Brompton bike dock in the
country 
- Environmentally-friendly  design uses solar panels and
latest smart card technology

South West Trains has launched the UK’s first ’self-service’
Brompton Bicycle rental scheme with the introduction of an
innovative bike dock at Guildford Station today (Thursday
7^th July).

The environmentally-friendly solar-powered Brompton bike dock
marks the latest stage of a long-running partnership between South
West Trains and folding bike manufacturer, Brompton Bicycle.

South West Trains initially joined forces with Brompton Bicycle
in a bid to encourage passengers to cycle as part of a fully
integrated low carbon journey combining bike and train. The company
offers bikes for hire to South West Trains href="www.southwesttrains.co.uk/seasontickets.aspx">rail
season ticket holders and the general public. These bikes have
no travel restrictions and can be carried on all South West Trains
services. However, all folding cycles must be stowed as
luggage.

Now, passengers at Guildford station are the first in the
country to be offered one of the 80 Brompton bikes for rent through
the self-service dock scheme as part of the strategy to promote
cycling as an eco-friendly last-mile feeder link to and from the
station.

The Brompton dock makes maximum use of the space at Guildford
station, using only one car parking space to store up to 80 bikes.
The dock is a ’self-contained’ unit entirely powered by
solar-panels, manufactured in the UK and is made from 95% of
recycling material. The bikes are securely enclosed behind a
silver-grey façade and are displayed in lockers.  

Passengers who want to cycle to or from Guildford station and
use the dock should register and purchase a smartcard online href="pilot.bromptondock.co.uk/pilot.php">pilot.bromptondock.co.uk/pilot.php
from only £1.60 a day. They can then use the card to open an
available locker at Guildford station.

Phil Dominey, Stakeholder Manager for South West Trains said:
“Brompton bikes have already proved to be a success on our network.
This is the first time in the UK that Brompton bikes will be
available from a self-service dock and we believe this will make it
easier for people to cycle to or from Guildford station. It is
another step to encourage more passengers to think of alternatives
to the car.”

Mark Antwis, Managing Director for Brompton Docks said: “In the
last 10 years, bike journeys have increased 10 fold. This is the
first Brompton dock in the country and we believe this will make
bike journeys even more attractive and set people free by providing
a ready to ride high quality Brompton bike to rent.”

href="www.southwesttrains.co.uk/">www.southwesttrains.co.uk

Notes to Editors 
Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group,
with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The
company employs around 35,000 people, and operates bus, coach,
rail, and tram services. 

Stagecoach is one of UK’s biggest bus and coach operators. Around
2.5 million passengers travel on Stagecoach’s 8,400 buses every day
on a network stretching from south-west England to the Highlands
and Islands of Scotland. The company’s business includes major city
bus operations in London, Liverpool, Newcastle, Hull, Manchester,
Oxford, Sheffield and Cambridge. 

Stagecoach is a major UK rail operator, running the South West
Trains, Island Line and East Midlands Trains networks. It has a 49%
shareholding in Virgin Rail Group, which operates the West Coast
inter-city rail franchise. 

Stagecoach is also Britain’s biggest tram operator, running
networks in both Sheffield and Manchester.

Brompton Bicycles Ltd

Brompton Bicycle is a bicycle manufacturer based in Brentford,
London.  It is notable for its unique design of folding
bicycle and for being the last transport manufacturer of any kind
based in the London.  All Bromptons are designed and built to
order and are sold in 33 countries worldwide. 
For more detail see: href="www.brompton.co.uk/">www.brompton.co.uk 

 
Brompton Dock Ltd

Brompton Dock is a new start-up company part owned by Brompton
Bicycles Ltd, that specialises in the development and sales of
automated bike hire units for Brompton bikes. 

For more detail see: href="pilot.bromptondock.co.uk/pilot.php">pilot.bromptondock.co.uk/pilot.php

For media enquiries please contact: Stagecoach Group
Communications on 017-38-442-111 or email: href="mailto:media@stagecoachgroup.com">media@stagecoachgroup.com

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