Amtrak Expands Carry-On Bike Program on Northeast Regional Trains for Service to Virginia

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Customers can bring their bikes for their off-train adventures

WASHINGTON – Amtrak has expanded its Carry-on bike program ^[1] for state-sponsored trains operating in Virginia, allowing customers the ability to store their bike inside of the passenger coach in a designated space. Customers can travel with their bikes beginning on May 1. The fee is $20.

“Bringing your bicycle onboard a train is part of the journey, as it allows our customers to explore the cities they are visiting,” said Ray Lang, Vice President of State Supported Services. “To coincide with the increased popularity of biking in this country, we also wanted to provide our customers in Virginia with the option of bringing their bike on more trains.”

Amtrak and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation ^[2] (DRPT) partner to provide intercity passenger rail in the Commonwealth. The Virginia state-sponsored trains  provide a same-seat trip from Norfolk, Newport News, Richmond, Roanoke and points in-between to Washington, D.C., and other cities in the Northeast and as far north as Boston aboard Amtrak Northeast Regional trains.

“DRPT is excited to provide Carry-on Bike service on our state-sponsored Amtrak routes,” stated Jennifer Mitchell, Director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. “This service provides a solution to first/last-mile transportation needs, helping train passengers get to their final destinations more seamlessly and enhancing tourism opportunities across the Commonwealth.”

Using newly installed luggage racks that convert to bike racks, the expanded program will allow Amtrak to provide storage space for up to four bikes per departure. Standard full-size bicycles may be carried on as long as the front wheel is removed. Bikes must be stored onboard in bicycle racks, and specific reservations are required.

For Carry-On bicycle service, customers are encouraged to arrive at the station at least 30 minutes prior to departure. All panniers and bags attached to the bicycle need to be removed and consolidated before boarding. After entering the origin and destination when booking a ticket on Amtrak.com ^[3] or via the Amtrak app ^[4], an icon with a number of spaces available will display if bike service is available. Customers should proceed to ‘Add Ons’ step to add bikes to a reservation. Customers can also call 1-800-USA-RAIL to add a bike reservation to an existing reservation.

new standard of travel ^[5] with enhanced safety and cleaning measures. In an effort to simplify and safeguard the travel experience, several cleaning, contact-free and convenience measures have been implemented into every part of the customer journey, including:

• Enhanced cleaning: Amtrak has enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols at stations and onboard our trains.
• Face coverings: Per federal law and Amtrak policy, all customers and employees must wear a face mask or covering that fully covers the entire mouth and nose, fits snugly against the side of the face, and secures under the chin at all times while onboard and in stations. Neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas, face shields, and masks containing valves, mesh material or holes of any kind do not qualify as acceptable face coverings.  Face masks can be removed briefly while actively eating, drinking or taking medication. Children under 2 years old are not required to wear a face covering. Refusing to wear a mask is a violation of federal law; passengers may be subject to penalties under federal law, denied boarding, removed from the train and banned from future travel in the event of noncompliance.
• Air Quality: All trains are equipped with onboard filtration systems with a fresh air exchange rate every 4-5 minutes.
• Physical distancing: Signage indicates safe distances in high traffic areas in our busiest stations and onboard leading up to the café car counter, and protective plastic barriers have been installed at customer counters in stations and at countertops in café cars.

More than 232,953 bikes have traveled around the country since the program launched in October 2015. The program has also generated more than $1 million in revenue since its inception. For more information about Amtrak’s Bike policy ^[6], visit Amtrak.com ^[7].

 

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