ATOC National Cycle-Rail Awards
– the background

The Association of Train Operating Companies’ (ATOC) National Cycle-Rail Awards recognise the progress made by the rail industry and associated organisations towards encouraging the integrated use of bikes and train travel.

The rail industry has held similar awards since 1997, when the Cycle Mark award was launched. They ran in that form for three years and, following a break in 2000, were re-started in 2001 with the support of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA).
Another break in 2003 was followed in 2004 by the creation of the Connections awards, which were sponsored by the SRA and ATOC.
2008 is the fourth year of the National Cycle-Rail Awards and their overall sponsorship by ATOC. Entries and nominations have risen since ATOC’s involvement, reflecting the industry’s changing approach to cycles and trains.
This year, entry and nomination of awards is being further facilitated with an online application form.
CTC and Sustrans have also provided valuable expert support and judgement, and now Cycling England sponsor a category.
This continuity and support is helping to develop the National Cycle-Rail Awards as the showcase for the very best in the integrated use of bikes and trains.
In addition to recognising progress, ATOC, through the National Cycle-Rail Awards, is determined to play a wider role in continuing this integration.
A store of potentially useful information about projects and initiatives exists and will be given as wide an audience as possible in future.
To make this information accessible ATOC and its National Cycle-Rail Awards partners are developing a database of case studies through the cyclerail.co.uk website.
ATOC has a clear aim to encourage the greater use of cycles to access the railway. It is through improved communication and the spread of best practice that ATOC will move closer towards fulfilling that aim.