A RAIL company has been accused of ‘slapping cyclists in the face’ after banning bikes from some trains into and out of Oxford.

Chiltern Railways has announced that all bikes, except folding ones, will not be allowed on more popular services.

The policy comes into force on January 8 and affects passengers travelling the route at peak times from Oxfordshire stations Oxford, Oxford Parkway, Islip and Bicester Village.

It will banish non-folding bikes from all of its services arriving at Oxford station between 7.45am-10am, or leaving Oxford between from 4.30pm-7.30pm.

Previously, the ban has only applied to trains arriving at Marylebone during the morning rush hour and leaving the capital at the end of the day.

Oxford University employee Richard Lofthouse branded the new policy ‘pathetic’, and said it marred efforts to combat congestion and promote clean travel.

The 45-year-old from London, who travels from Marylebone to Oxford Parkway at least twice a week, said: “This is not just a slap in the face for cyclists who use Chiltern’s services, but a direct hit for everyone else trying to make Oxford more habitable and less traffic-choked.”

Currently passengers arriving in Marylebone between 7.45am-10am, or leaving Marylebone between 4.30pm-7.30pm, cannot take non-folding bikes. Those travelling to Oxford had not been affected, however, until now.

Chiltern insists the change is necessary due to safety, but Dr Lofthouse said: “The net result is to discourage cycling and destroy a wonderful, burgeoning community of cycle commuters.

“It comes just at the point where [Oxford City Council] is looking to implement a zero emission zone to get people out of their cars.

“Most European countries would laugh at this abject failure of joined-up thinking, where a privately-run rail company can simply ban paying customers who are doing exactly what the Government wants: travelling sustainably and leaving the car at home.”

He predicted he would have to invest in another bike so he could leave one at each station.

Noting this was both ‘expensive and inconvenient’, especially given the limited bike parking, he added: “As well as being very expensive, folding bikes aren’t very good for long distances.”

The operator’s £320m Marylebone-Oxford line launched in October 2015.

Its competitor First Great Western also limits people from taking bikes on certain trains, requiring cyclists to reserve a space, including on all high-speed services.

It is not yet clear if Chiltern will bring in a reservation system.

Simon Hunt, chair of Oxford cycling community Cyclox, described the situation as ‘regrettable’ but said he understood the rail operator’s reasoning.

He said: “When you’ve got an unpredictable number of bikes and a full train I can see why people would be pretty annoyed.

“Naturally, we’d much rather have decent provision for full-sized bikes so this didn’t arise.”

Noting it would ‘hit commuters hardest’, he said the new bike hire services in Oxford could help, but said costs would mount up if they were being relied on daily.

Chiltern Railways failed to respond to a request for comment.

Its website states the extension of its bike ban is ‘for the safety and comfort of all our passengers’.

Responding to Dr Lofthouse’s concerns on Twitter, Chiltern Railways added: “There have been a number of bikes blocking vestibule areas when train are busy and passenger safety is our priority.”

For a list of trains affected, visit chilternrailways.co.uk and navigate to ‘bicycle policy update’, or look out for signs at the station.