Cycling groups say the ban will make getting to work more difficult

The ban applies to trains arriving at Waterloo on weekdays between 7.15am - 10am and leaving between 4.45pm - 7pm.

SWT said it made the decision because of a lack of space on its trains during busy commuter times.

Bill Derby, of the Reading Cycle Campaign, says people will experience "more difficulty getting to work" now that the ban has been imposed.

Dave Holiday, a transport expert working with the National Cyclists Organisation (CTC), described the decision as a "crude, flawed method" of controlling demand last week.

But SWT said it made the decision to forge ahead with the ban after consulting politicians and cycle groups.