Hundreds ride for fair access: bin the blanket ban Merseyrail!
On 14 July Merseyrail announced that electric bikes that are fully legal in the UK would no longer be permitted anywhere on its network, citing a safety review it had conducted but refused to share with Cycling UK.
Enforced from 1 January 2027, this would mean not only are electric bikes not allowed onto trains and stations, but they also cannot be left in safe cycle storage at any station on the network, which covers the Liverpool City Region and extends to parts of Cheshire and Lancashire.
On the day
Hundreds of people braved the rain and met outside Liverpool City Region Combined Authority offices, where the Transport Committee was meeting, with their e-bikes.
This was a great chance for people who will be affected by the ban to meet with councillors and share their stories with regional media.
Mike Elkins, a local resident, shared his testimony with Cycling UK:
Merseyrail have come out with this ban, and it’s going to stop me from being able to get out on my bike. I’m an amputee, and I rely on my bike to get me about in Merseyside. I live on the Wirral and use the Merseyrail trains to get into Liverpool. If the ban goes ahead, I’ll be basically a prisoner on the Wirral
Before setting off on the ride, Steve Brooks, External Affairs Director at Cycling UK, spoke to the crowd about why this issue matters and the growing concern from people who rely on bikes and e-bikes for everyday travel.
The reality is today a lot of people rely on an e-bike to be part of their journey. They’re combining it with a train trip. It might be getting to work or college. It might be getting to a hospital appointment, or it might be about seeing a loved one or a relative on the other side of the city
Committee meeting
Duncan Ferguson, a local resident who shared his testimony with Cycling UK about the impact of the e-bike ban on his ability to get around, then went into the transport committee meeting to ask the following:
As the trains are a public transport service…does the committee not agree with me that the way Merseyrail have tried to impose these conditions without any form of consultation is unacceptable and in stated contradiction to local and national transport policies and possibly in breach of disability discrimination laws, and what steps are being taken to address this situation?
Chairman of the committee Steve Foulkes said that he had been in consultation with Steve Rotherham, Liverpool City Region Mayor, and that Merseyrail was “using a sledgehammer to crack a nut” and was hopeful of finding a solution that doesn’t punish owners of legal e-bikes.
The committee then agreed to write to Merseyrail to ask them to review the decision – a sign that your effort is making a difference.
Ride on Merseyrail
We then rode to Merseyrail’s head offices in the centre of town.
Despite the rain, we kept up the energy with a peaceful and positive ride to Merseyrail’s head offices in the centre of town. People of all ages were riding all kinds of bikes, including adapted electric bikes, showing the public that many of us depend on legal e-bikes to live full, healthy and greener lives.
At Merseyrail head office
Steve delivered a document summarising more than 100 personal stories about the impact this ban will have for older and disabled people, commuters and families.
We also asked for a meeting with Merseyrail, but they didn’t want to speak with us. But now it’s all over the regional news, they’ll be feeling the pressure.
Keep it up
if you haven’t emailed Merseyrail to complain about the ban, please do so today:
If you have but they’ve just dismissed your complaint, please reply to their email and request an internal review by a senior manager.
And if you haven’t emailed your MP about this yet, there’s still time to do so:
Together we can shunt Merseyrail back on track!
