Travellers wishing to cycle through the Lake District can now hire e-bikes when they get there with the opening of a pick-up service from Penrith station.
Avanti West Coast has teamed up with Cumbrian cycle business Arragon Cycles to offer visitors a seamless transfer between train and bike by providing a collection service for e-bikes when they arrive at Penrith station.
The new service supports Cumbria Tourism’s “Go Car Free” campaign for visitors to make greener journeys and provides free delivery and collection from the North Lakes station.
Visitors can choose from various bicycles that suit their needs and can make bookings up to 24 hours in advance.
Bookings should be made directly with Arragon’s Cycles, provided that visitors notify them of their arrival time at Penrith, an Arragon team member will meet them off the train with their pre-booked bike.
An Arragon team member will also collect the bike at Penrith station before visitors board their train home.
Arragon is a third-generation family business, and its partnership with Avanti West Coast aims to provide tourists and holidaymakers with a hassle-free journey visiting the Lakes without needing a car.
Elsewhere in the Lake District, an electric bike hire shop opened last year at Arnside station
Meanwhile in Scotland, four cycling companies have partnered with ScotRail to offer free and discounted bike hire to people travelling by train to their destination
We’re lucky to serve the North Lakes and are excited to have partnered with Arragon’s Cycles to help visitors enjoy sustainable adventures to this beautiful area.
Being able to step off the train, jump straight onto a bike and ride into the heart of the Lake District means it’s even easier for people to explore the stunning scenery at their own pace.
We hope this partnership will inspire more car-free explorations where visitors can take in the landscapes, towns, and villages on just two wheels.
Mark Green, Avanti West Coast Station Manager at Penrith
Our independent cycle store has been part of the Penrith landscape since 1969. We added Cycle Hire to our offering in 2018 when Lowther Castle opened over 30 kilometres of dedicated cycle trails on their stunning estate which is open for the public to enjoy.
Over the last couple of years, we experienced a growing number of enquiries from visitors hoping to explore the wider area by bicycle, so our delivery service was born. Because of electric assist bikes, cycling has become an accessible solution for environmentally active travel.
Our partnership with Avanti West Coast really puts us on the map and we look forward to seeing many rail passengers experience the Eden Valley and North Lakes by bike.
Sarah Graham, owner of Arragon’s Cycles
Responses
Penrith is right on the edge of the Lake District National Park. The popular town of Pooley Bridge and shores of Ullswater are 6 miles away (fairly do-able on an e-bike). The iconic Lowther Castle is also nearby. There is a bus service connecting Penrith station and Keswick every half an hour (service X4/X5). You can now purchase a through ticket to Keswick where the latter part of the journey is done from Penrith by bus.
I cannot see this a lasting venture.Penrith railway station is miles away from the actual lakes , a other Lake District towns, notably Keswick.Better options would be more bus integration but most visitors to the Lake District come by car and it will take a lot to make them switch to the train ( and e bikes).
It would , of course, help if the train operators, particularly Avanti, were more reliable and the pernicious rail strikes were called off.