Travelling with bikes

Cycle hubs are available at the following stations:

To use one of our Cycle Hubs, you can register for a three-, six- or 12-month subscription at the station ticket office. Once you have signed up and paid, you’ll be given a key fob that gives you access to the hub.

Your key fob will stay active for the length of your subscription. If you’d like to renew, just visit the ticket office again and they’ll activate your fob for your chosen period.

You can register for a three-, six- or 12-month subscription to use one of our Cycle Hubs. Subscription prices vary slightly depending on the station, with each one grouped into either Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3.

Tier 1 stations

• Ashford International
• Canterbury West
• Chatham
• Dartford
• Gravesend
• Orpington
• Sidcup
• Tonbridge

Tier 2 stations

• Clock House
• Dover Priory
• Elmstead Woods
• Folkestone Central
• Folkestone West
• Greenhithe
• Maidstone East
• Margate
• Paddock Wood
• Petts Wood
• Slade Green
• Strood
• Swanley
• Welling
• Whitstable

Tier 3 stations

• Birchington-on-Sea
• Elmers End
• Knockholt
• Marden
• Walmer
• Westgate-on-Sea

If you have any issues with the Cycle Hub or access system while at the station, please speak to staff at the station ticket office first – they’ll be happy to help.

If the ticket office is closed or can’t resolve the issue, you can get in touch with Southeastern customer services using the details in our Contact Us section.

We continue to improve cycle parking, lighting and CCTV to help keep your bike safe while you travel. To further protect your bike, we recommend you:

• Park your bike in a well-lit area
• Security mark your bike
• Register your bike on the national bike registration database
• Keep a clear photo of your bike and a description

Please note, bikes are left at stations and in cycle parking facilities are at your own risk.

All our trains can carry at least two bikes. However, our train layouts and lengths vary, so the number of bikes we can carry depends on the type of train.

Where there's no dedicated cycle space, please spread bikes throughout the train. If you're travelling with someone else, this may mean you won't be able to travel in the same carriage.

Wheelchair and mobility scooter users have absolute priority over these spaces. If you place your bike in a wheelchair space, do not leave it unattended and be ready to move it immediately if needed. Don’t wait to be asked – just do the right thing.

If no other space is available and a disabled person requires the area, our staff may ask you to leave the train. In these rare cases, please cooperate and be respectful – our staff are working to keep everyone safe and comfortable.

If you’re travelling as a group with bikes, you may not be able to travel together due to space restrictions on board. Please be ready to spread out throughout the train. This might mean you won’t all be able to board the same service.

We can’t guarantee space for groups of cyclists, so we recommend choosing quieter services wherever possible.

• Allow plenty of time at the station
• Label your bike clearly
• Store folding bikes in the luggage area
• Stay close to your bike
• Stay clear of doors, walkways and staff areas

This policy is in place due to fire safety concerns associated with the lithium-ion batteries used in e-scooters and e-skateboards.

There have been isolated incidents where e-scooter and e-skateboard batteries have caught fire. These batteries are typically located beneath the board – where users stand – making them more susceptible to damage.

If a battery were to catch fire on a train board a train, it would pose a serious risk to passengers and staff. Therefore, along with other train operating companies such as Govia Thameslink Railway and South Western Railway, we have banned e-scooters and e-skateboards until we can be confident they are safe.

Paragraph 23.5 of the National Rail Conditions of Travel states that e-scooters are only permitted at the discretion of individual train companies. This gives Southeastern the right to refuse to carry them.

Additionally, the Railway Byelaws contain several provisions that can be used to enforce the ban of e-scooters, e-skateboards and other recreational mobility devices powered by lithium-ion batteries, e.g. Byelaw 2.

We welcome wheelchairs and mobility scooters up to 1200mm long and 700mm wide and have a combined (user and scooter) weight of 300kg, as this is the weight restriction of our boarding ramps.

For more information, download our Wheelchair and Scooter Guide PDF.