A cyclist, who was travelling aboard the train in the direction of Luxembourg city on Tuesday morning, was asked to get off at Mersch station to make space for other passengers, despite travelling in the carriage specifically designated for bicycles.
A video of the event circulated on social media, and gained partiuclar traction on Reddit. Users on this social media platform scrutinised and criticised the event, which appeared to show the cyclist being asked to leave the train to make room for other passengers despite being in the bicycle carriage.
So as to understand the event better, RTL Today reached out to the national railway company about the incident, questioning whether cyclists should be prioritised given they are making use of a dedicated space for transporting bikes, but it appears that overcrowding was the problem.
Spokeswoman Nadine Kremer said: “Safety is our number one priority and if the train is overcrowded, we must still ensure that the platforms, the space by the doors and the aisles are kept clear. Especially at peak times, for safety reasons it can happen that there is no more space for bicycles.”
Kremer added: “In general, bicycles can be taken along free of charge on the Luxembourg network, depending on availability of bicycle parking spaces.”
The passenger was told by staff to wait and to take the next train five minutes later. This version of events was later confirmed by the cyclist in question, who confirmed that they had attempted to board the already full train with their bicycle, and was then asked to take the next train. It was thus not the case, as had been speculated, that they had to leave to make room for passengers who arrived after them.
The company did acknowledge that this train model has fewer bicycle spaces available, and that it was also operating in shorter composition than usual. The old trains are to be replaced by 2024, Kremer said.
In the Netherlands, bikes are not permitted on trains during rush hour. Cyclists may bring their two-wheelers onboard only before 6.30am, between 9am-4pm and after 6.30pm. Fold-up bikes are allowed at all times, and there are no designated time slots on weekends.
In Belgium, bikes are generally permitted at all times, but not at some stations, including Brussels central station. If all slots are taken in the bike compartment, passengers must wait for the next train.
Bikes are allowed at all times in Germany, but must be reserved on ICE trains.
