Guildford rail station takes part in new cycling trial

Guildford rail station has become the first location in the UK to trial a new range of public-use bikes that make use of smart card technology.

The self-service Brompton Bicycle rental initiative is a scheme in conjunction with South West Trains in order to encourage people to ditch cars in favour of cycling.

Travellers can buy their smart card online and use it for £1.60 a day. The plastic can then be used to open a locker and take out a bike.

The pilot scheme at Guildford rail station started last Thursday (7th July).

"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," said Phil Dominey, Stakeholder Manager for South West Trains.

"It is another step in encouraging more passengers to think of alternatives to the car."

"In the last 10 years, bike journeys have increased 10 fold," said Mark Antwis, Managing Director for Brompton Docks.

"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."

What do you think? Will you take advantage of this pilot scheme? Will you still favour using your car to get to the train station? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.