Sir, – As a regular cycle tourist around Ireland, I write in support of Mary Lawlor (“Bicycle-friendly trains, please”, Letters, July 9th).
I appeal to our bicycle-friendly Green Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan to do something to persuade Iarnród Éireann to provide more bicycle spaces on our trains.
At present, except on the Dublin to Cork and Dublin to Belfast lines (where bicycles can be put in the guards van), each inter-city train is restricted to two bike racks, with the result that to be confident of getting your bicycle on a train you have to reserve a place many weeks, and sometimes months, in advance.
In this outdoor exercise and cycle-conscious age, I dread to think of what this is doing to put off cycle tourists from countries like France, Germany and the Netherlands, where getting a bicycle on a train is as easy as booking a ticket for an ordinary passenger. – Yours, etc,
ANDY POLLAK,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.