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South West Trains launched the UK’s first self-service Brompton Bicycle rental scheme with an innovative Brompton Dock at Guildford Station this morning.
80 Brompton bikes are available to rent through the self-service dock. The 80 Bromptons take up the space of just one car and the Dock is a self-contained unit powered entirely by solar panels. Manufactured in the UK, the dock is made from 95 per cent recycled material. The bikes are securely enclosed behind a silver-grey façade and are dispensed from lockers.
Passengers can register and purchase a smartcard online, with costs starting from £1.60 per day. The card then opens an available locker at Guildford station.
The scheme is the latest from a long running partnership between the two firms. They initially worked together to encourage passengers to cycle as part of a fully low carbon journey by offering bikes for hire to South West Trains season ticket holders and the general public at Waterloo Station. Brompton bikes were identified as ideal as they face no travel restrictions and can be carried on all South West Trains services without prior booking.
“Brompton bikes have already proved to be a success on our network,” explained Phil Dominey, Stakeholder Manager for South West Trains. “This is the first time in the UK Brompton bikes are available from a self-service dock and we believe this will make it easier for people to cycle to or from Guildford station. It is another step in encouraging more passengers to think of alternatives to the car."
William Butler-Adams, Brompton MD, added: “In the last ten years, bike journeys have increased ten-fold as the public has come to appreciate the many advantages that cycling offers.
“This is the first Brompton Dock in the country and we believe it, and others like it, will make bike journeys even more attractive to more people; by providing a ready-to-ride high-quality Brompton to rent, we are giving passengers a superior alternative to the car and bus.”
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