The SNCB is launching a trip planner to give users the ability to consult online which trains are best suited to accommodate bicycles, reports Belga News Agency.
Called BikeOnTrain, the interface has been available for use since June 3, confirmed SNCB. Thanks to a colour system ranging from green to red, the user will know which train will be best suited to his two-wheeler.
The use of the BikeOnTrain platform works on the same principle as the SNCB website. You enter your departure and arrival station there, and the routes are displayed. Small difference, a logo appears near each time slot, telling you if the train is well suited to accommodate your bike.
A green logo means that the train is “recommended” and that you can board without fear. Yellow indicates a “possible” capacity for your bicycle, while orange advises against and red prohibits taking a bicycle on the train.
Available since Tuesday 3 June, BikeOnTrain can be consulted on the internet, but not yet via the SNCB website. The planner is in its early stages and its final version will arrive sometime in 2023.
“At present, it is only available on a separate WebApp, where travellers can provide feedback. This feedback will be taken into account before the BikeOnTrain planner is integrated into the existing trip planner on the app and on the SNCB website in the course of 2023”, indicates the SNCB. The latter also announces to increase the number of places for bicycles in the new double-decker trains to reach 6,800 places by 2026 (compared to 4,500 currently).
Bicycle parking spaces in stations are also seen on the rise with 120,000 spaces available by the end of the year.
