E-bike charging and bike parking at Harpenden and Bedford stations

In early 2022 APCOA, the parking operator, installed Bikeep e-bike charging stations at two rail stations north of London, Harpenden and Bedford. Each station has seven docks that lock the bike and charge its battery, and both are free to use.

Why rail stations need charging

More commuters are switching to e-bikes, and APCOA pointed out that e-bikes are the best-selling electric vehicle in the world. Yet while charging for electric cars was well understood, there was no combined way to park and charge an e-bike at the station.

Trains have limited space for bikes, and peak-time rules often keep bikes off them altogether. So riders are encouraged to leave the bike at the station. That only works if the bike is still there, and still charged, when they come back.

What the stations offer

• Secure docks. A locking bar closes over the frame, so riders don't need to carry a heavy lock.
• Charging while you travel. Riders plug their own charger into the dock's locked compartment and leave the e-bike charging all day.
• App or card. Docks open with the Bikeep app or a contactless card.
• Alarm and camera. Every dock sounds an alarm if someone tampers with a locked bike, and a camera watches each station.

Where to find them

• Harpenden. On Station Road, at the town's station.
• Bedford. At Bedford station on Ashburnham Road. In May 2022 it became part of the station's new cycle hub. Read about the Bedford cycle hub opening.

In daily use

Since they opened, the two stations have logged about 2,700 parkings by more than 170 different riders, about 1,460 at Bedford and 1,230 at Harpenden.

APCOA has since gone further, with a full urban mobility hub in Carmarthen. Read about APCOA's Carmarthen hub, or see how stations work for public transport.