Rail company Greater Anglia has restated its cycling policy as more and more travellers want to bring their two wheels on to the region’s trains.

There is a ban on full-sized cycles on morning rush-hour trains into London and Cambridge – folding bikes are fine – and people wanting to take a cycle on to InterCity trains need to book ahead to reserve space.

Greater Anglia’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Jonathan Denby, said, “We welcome cyclists and their cycles on our services, but do have limited space so we ask that passengers respect the policy and when travelling on intercity services to reserve their cycle space in advance to avoid disappointment.

“Passenger numbers are increasing on many of our services, and stations are getting busier. We have a clear and long-established policy which is essential for the safe operation of our trains and also for the safe movement of large numbers of people around our trains, stations and platforms, which is why we cannot carry full size cycles on some routes at peak times.

“A great alternative is to bring a folding bike or use our fantastic Bike & Go hire service which is great value and available at many of our stations. Bike and Go offers quality cycles from £3.80 for a 24 hour period.

“We also have cycle parking spaces at all our stations, so for many customers it may be practical to cycle to or from the station without taking a bike on the train, thereby still getting the benefit of a journey combining both these environmentally-friendly forms of travel.”