Bringing a bike or scooter
Feel free to travel with a folding bike or folding manual scooter any time. But if you want to bring a regular bike or non-folding manual scooter on board, there are some restrictions you should know about.
Bringing a bike or manual scooter
For everyone’s safety, bikes and manual scooters should never be ridden on our stations or onboard. We also ask that any lights on your bike or manual scooter are switched off when you are at our stations as they could distract our staff from carrying out safety-related duties.
Please continue reading for information regarding our e-scooter, e-unicycle, e-skateboard and hoverboard policy.
Other transport companies’ may have different policies, so be sure to check your onward journeys.
Please check our separate guidance on mobility aid scooters.
Our bike policy
You're welcome to bring your bike on the Gatwick Express. Fully folding bikes are welcome at any time, but at busier times we can't carry non-folding bikes.
If you're bringing a folding bike on a peak time service, please fold it before you come through the ticket gates and when doing so, please make sure you use the wide aisle gate as this provides more space and time for you to walk through.
Peak time services - when non-folding bikes can't be carried - are those trains:
- Due to arrive at London Victoria between 07:00 and 10:00 Monday to Friday
- Due to leave London Victoria between 16:00 and 19:00 Monday to Friday
On weekends and bank holidays, bikes are welcome on all trains at any time.
Other restrictions
For safety reasons, please don't lock your bike to any part of the train or leave it unattended.
If your bike would obstruct other passengers when they're boarding, alighting or standing, we may need to ask you to remove it - or not to bring it on board - even at times when bikes are normally allowed.
If a member if train or station staff asks you to remove your bike from the train, you must do so.
If we can't let you bring your bike on board, out staff will help you find another train.
On rail replacement bus services
Rail replacement buses can't carry non-folding bikes safely, so we can only carry folding bikes on these services. Please check for any engineering works before you travel.
Our e-scooter, e-unicycle, e-skateboard and hoverboard policy
We understand that you may travel to and from our services in a variety of ways. However, we are committed to keeping you and our people safe, which means all e-scooters, e-unicycles, e-skateboards and hoverboards are not permitted on our trains or in our stations from 1 June 2023.
Why are we banning them?
Under advice from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) and following recommendations by the Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB) and London Fire Brigade, our safety team along with many other rail companies have carried out a review of the risks of these items and decided they should be banned. This is because of the limited regulation around the lithium-ion battery which has the potential to cause harm should it malfunction.
Can I store it at your station whilst I travel?
As they are not safe to have on our stations, we don’t allow them in our storage facilities.
Can I remove the battery and bring it with me?
Even if the battery is removed and carried separately, they are still not permitted due to the risks of the battery malfunctioning and causing a fire.
Can I bring them onto a rail replacement bus?
The companies that provide rail replacement buses have also banned these due to safety concerns. This means you are unable to take these on buses that run during engineering work or disruption.
Are e-bikes and mobility scooters still permitted?
Yes, these are still permitted. Our normal bike and mobility scooter restrictions apply (see above for e-bikes). See our guidance on mobility aid scooters here.
Can I bring my manual (non-powered) scooter or skateboard with me?
Yes, your manual scooter (if fully folded) and skateboard can be brought onboard any of our trains. Remember they should never be ridden onboard or on our stations for everyone’s safety.