"We all aspire to have the best rail network in the world but if we can get the train to show up, show up on time and be clean, we're already having a great victory", said Pedro Nuno Santos, Minister for Infrastructure and Housing at the launch event for the discussion of the National Rail Plan in April. Nuno Santos added a further requirement shortly afterwards: that the train can carry a bicycle "so we can get somewhere and go about our business without having a car waiting for us".
Bicycle transportation on a CP train is generally allowed but not guaranteed, which can be frustrating and cause unpleasant surprises for those who might have been counting on something. Not only are there different rules for each service and several hourly exceptions where transportation is not all allowed, but on trains where taking a bike is allowed you won't always be able to take your two-wheeled partner.
Lisboa Para Pessoas has prepared a short guide to better understand how you can take your bike with you on a train journey with CP. You can always consult the most up-to-date and detailed information. on the official CP website.
Before we go into the details, take a look at the general conditions:
- bicycle transportation is always free on CP;
- such transportation is the sole responsibility of the passenger;
- only conventional size bicycles are allowed, so the transportation of longer bicycles or cargo bikes is not authorized or accommodated;
- electric bicycles are allowed, provided that in size/occupied space (not considering the battery), they resemble a traditional bicycle.
Alfa Pendular
CP's high-speed train, which runs services between Faro and Braga, passing through Lisbon and Porto, has no space for bicycles, so they are not allowed on the train. are treated as baggage. So it is possible to transport bicycles but it is not so convenient:
- the bicycle must be dismantled and properly packed in a bag;
- as luggage, the bicycle must fit in the luggage rack or under the seats;
- only one bicycle per passenger is allowed;
- transportation is free.
The transportation of a folding bicycle may be easier on the Alfa Pendular, as it is a small-volume type of bicycle that disassembles easily.
Intercity
Intercidades trains provide travel between cities from north to south, from the coast to the interior. There are Intercidades connections between Lisbon and Porto, and between the two main cities of the country and Guimarães, Braga, Valença, Covilhã, Guarda, Évora and Faro, passing through several other cities along the way. It is possible to take bicycles on all these journeys, with some special conditions. Pay close attention because there are special details:
- only a maximum of two bicycles per carriage may be carried in 2nd class carriages.. On the Intercidades between Lisbon and Porto there are more carriages, so more space for bicycles. Bicycles are carried aloft on the racks provided for this purpose, with one wheel resting on the rack and the other suspended or in the air;
- Intercidades have space for conventional bicycles, whether electric or not. However, there is an important detail about weight, but we'll come to that in a moment. Cargo bikes or larger bikes cannot be carried on Intercidades. Folding bikes, on the other hand, can be carried as luggage, just like on Alfa Pendular trains;
- in the rules available on the CP website, it is explained that the weight of the bicycle must be 15 kg or less. This is because some carriages running on the Intercidades service, particularly on the Northern Line (Lisbon-Oporto/Guimarães/Braga/Valença), have hooks that support a maximum weight of 15 kg. However, there are already several carriages with hooks that allow a weight of up to 25 kg, as is the case of the Intercidades that make the Lines of Beira Alta, Beira Baixa, Alentejo (Lisbon Oriente / Evora) and South. A conventional bicycle will weigh 15 kg, but an electric one will already weigh about 25 kg (without the battery). Thus, this weight rule mentioned on the CP website is outdated and could be more specific in relation to the diversity of supports that already exist on the different Intercidades. On the other hand, there are bicycles that, even if they weigh more than 15 kg, are supported on the floor of the carriage, so technically they are not suspended on the rack, just attached so they don't tip over. Thus, the issue of weight could only be indicative of the limits of the rack and not a constraint in relation to the transportation of the bicycle;
- To take a bicycle on the Intercidades, you must buy a ticket with bicycle transport. By doing so, the passenger is automatically assigned to one of two seats: seats 15 or 17 on the Intercidades of the Northern Line, or seats 12 or 18 on the other Intercidades. If these seats are no longer available, it is only possible to carry bicycles packed as luggage as on the Alfa Pendular.
CP assures Lisboa Para Pessoas that it has "the aim of providing the possibility of transporting bicycles on its trains, whenever possible. In fact, it is in this context that it has been developing and implementing on-board conditions to facilitate such transportation, namely the application of supports and the creation of specific spaces for this purpose ". The company adds that "this action has allowed to reduce the existing limitations, which, at the moment, apply only to a few dozen trains, in a universe of about 1,350 daily circulations that CP ensures".
Regional and InterRegional
The transportation of bicycles on Regional and InterRegional trains is free and permitted, but is not guaranteed. This means that there may be situations where, for some reason, the rolling stock is different from usual and there is no room for bicycles, or the train is too full. This control will be done by the conductor. CP explains to Lisboa Para Pessoas that "Where it is impossible to transport bicycles safely, the conductor may prevent their transportation. For example, when there is a high average occupancy or when the number of bicycles to be transported is too high to allow for the safety and comfort of the passengers.".
In any case, you shouldn't have a problem as the trains serving the Regional and InterRegional trains are prepared for bicycles. Even on the older Vouga Line cars, which do not have specific zones, it is possible to take bicycles - which is welcome, since this link gives access, in Sernada do Vouga, to the beginning of the so-called "bicycle route". Ecopista do Vouga.
There are, however, a number of timetables where bicycle transportation is not permitted on Regional and InterRegional routes. Below are the restrictions in force at the time of this article, but you should check on the CP website the most up-to-date information.
According to CP, these limitations concern both "time slots or running days of some specific trains, where the expected average occupancy rates are quite high, making it difficult or impossible to transport bicycles". The restrictions were updated on June 29, the day it was extended "the permission to transport bicycles on the Interregional trains of the Minho Line, (...) due to the fact that these circulations are now carried out in carriages in which CP has already installed suitable supports for this transport".
Urban
The transportation of bicycles and scooters is free of charge and allowed every day and at all times on urban trains in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra on all lines. It is recommended that bicycles be transported in the carriages and places identified for this purpose.
