Amtrak has added new in-car luggage racks to accommodate bicycles for more passengers on its Northeast Regional, Hartford Line, Valley Flyer and Downeaster routes.
Several of these routes had previously not allowed bikes on their trains at all; the Downeaster had allowed bikes on its trains, but only if passengers were both boarding and disembarking at its Brunswick, Portland, Woburn, or Boston stops.
The new carry-on bike reservations should allow riders on these routes to take bikes to and from any station along the line, starting this week.
"The expanded bike program will allow Amtrak to provide storage space for up to two bikes per departure, with additional spaces being added as the rest of the fleet receives these modifications," according to an Amtrak press release.
The racks can accommodate standard full-size bicycles and require removal of the front wheel for the ride. Reservations are required, and bike spaces be reserved through the "Add Ons" option on the Amtrak.com ticket booking system.
