The Nishitetsu Tenjin-Omuta Line, which crosses western Fukuoka Prefecture, is letting cyclists carry their bikes on some trains, without being folded up, on weekends and holidays until Dec. 12.
Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co., operator of the Nishitetsu lines, started this limited-time trial on Oct. 23, tapping into the increased popularity of cycling amid the novel coronavirus crisis. The company aims to see if this business model, called "cycle train," will lead to an increase in customers.
The service, available only during the daytime on weekends and holidays on limited express trains, allows passengers to carry one bicycle each onto either the first or last car, depending on the train's direction.
Although there is no additional fare for the bicycle, passengers will need to strap their bike to a railing in the car. Belts for this purpose can be rented at stations.
The company had not previously allowed bicycles to be brought aboard their trains unless they could be folded up or disassembled.
While bicycle use has increased since the start of the coronavirus crisis to avoid crowded spaces, their popularity as a facet of tourism is also on the rise.
"Some destinations do not have good bus routes. If you can take your bike with you on a train, the demand for this transportation will expand," President Koichi Hayashida said at a press conference on Oct. 7.
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