We can use these cycle hubs to tether flying pigs

So the government is setting up 10 cycle hubs across Britain – 10 railway stations where there will be state of the art cycle racks and a cycle shop within reach.

I’m tempted to say they should have a ground anchorage for flying pigs. But let’s give them the benefit of the doubt.

As I mentioned in my blog a couple of weeks back, there is an aggressive anti-bike policy on Britain’s railways, although there are a couple of notable exceptions. I believe York station may be one of them.

But you need look no further than Paddington and Oxford to see the fifth-class status that bicycles and their owners enjoy.

This move will require a revolution in which station staff actually want to see a bike rather than run a mile the moment they glimpse one. You can’t just plonk racks in front of a station and hope they’ll work.

The government refers to the experience in the Netherlands. I hope they’ve studied it carefully and the considerable costs involved in ensuring that the racks work, are adequate, and don’t clog up with old bikes.

If it could be made to work, then a massive aspect of Britain’s need for an integrated transport system could be solved. It goes without saying that the attitude towards carrying bikes on trains will also have to change.