Carrying bikes on trains

[[email protected]]

http://www.atob.org.uk/Bike_Rail.html

Just discovered this website which is a very comprehensive guide to
carrying bikes on trains (and also ferries) with the various train
operators. I suspect a few on here may have seen it before, but its
worth noting the site was updated this July with updated details on
the new train franchises that came into effect this year.

[Jonathan Stott]

wrote:
> http://www.atob.org.uk/Bike_Rail.html
>
> Just discovered this website which is a very comprehensive guide to
> carrying bikes on trains (and also ferries) with the various train
> operators. I suspect a few on here may have seen it before, but its
> worth noting the site was updated this July with updated details on
> the new train franchises that came into effect this year.

I see that CrossCountry have changed the rules for bikes on their
trains. As someone who regularly uses the CrossCountry trains between
Bournemouth and Southampton, I haven't seen any notices or information
about this (a sign stuck in the bike area would be useful!). Previously
(and I checked this with their customer service people when they took
over from Virgin), CrossCountry would officially let you take a bike on
the train without a reservation if you had a season ticket - I assume
this is no longer the case? Equally, I have yet to be challenged when
taking my bike on the train (I assume that the train manager is too busy
with the rest of the train to check cycle reservations).

Jonathan

[Paul Rudin[_2_]]

writes:

> http://www.atob.org.uk/Bike_Rail.html
>
> Just discovered this website which is a very comprehensive guide to
> carrying bikes on trains (and also ferries) with the various train
> operators. I suspect a few on here may have seen it before, but its
> worth noting the site was updated this July with updated details on
> the new train franchises that came into effect this year.

I have found (admittedly not recently) that packing your bike into a
bike bag magically transforms it from the category "bike" to the
category "big luggage", and the latter may be acceptable even when the
former is not.

[Colin Blackburn[_2_]]

Jonathan Stott wrote:
> wrote:
>> http://www.atob.org.uk/Bike_Rail.html
>>
>> Just discovered this website which is a very comprehensive guide to
>> carrying bikes on trains (and also ferries) with the various train
>> operators. I suspect a few on here may have seen it before, but its
>> worth noting the site was updated this July with updated details on
>> the new train franchises that came into effect this year.
>
> I see that CrossCountry have changed the rules for bikes on their
> trains. As someone who regularly uses the CrossCountry trains between
> Bournemouth and Southampton, I haven't seen any notices or information
> about this (a sign stuck in the bike area would be useful!).
[...]

There is a brief article in the current Private Eye about this. To get
in more seats they are removing the "cafe" from the train and replacing
it with a trolley. They are then removing two bike spaces so that they
have somewhere to store the trolley.

As, is often the case, their trains are packed full around places like
Birmingham and Sheffield, the trolley will be next to useless since it
won't be able to get anywhere for people and bags.

Colin

[Cheeky[_2_]]

On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:02:14 +0100, Colin Blackburn
> wrote:

>
>There is a brief article in the current Private Eye about this. To get
>in more seats they are removing the "cafe" from the train and replacing
>it with a trolley. They are then removing two bike spaces so that they
>have somewhere to store the trolley.

Even worse: AIUI the current storage space at the standard class end
of the units is to be replaced with an enlarged luggage space
elsewhere on the units. If it's anything like the space on
TransPennine it will invariably be piled with luggage irrespective of
whether there's a cycle reservation or not.

[Colin Blackburn[_2_]]

Cheeky wrote:
> On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:02:14 +0100, Colin Blackburn
> > wrote:
>
>> There is a brief article in the current Private Eye about this. To get
>> in more seats they are removing the "cafe" from the train and replacing
>> it with a trolley. They are then removing two bike spaces so that they
>> have somewhere to store the trolley.
>
> Even worse: AIUI the current storage space at the standard class end
> of the units is to be replaced with an enlarged luggage space
> elsewhere on the units. If it's anything like the space on
> TransPennine it will invariably be piled with luggage irrespective of
> whether there's a cycle reservation or not.

I think I know the bit you mean. Not long after Virgin started running
the Voyagers they stripped out a row of seats, next to the end luggage
racks at one end of some carriages, and put in a flat base. It was a
useful space for huge bags. I assume that row of seats is being replaced.

Colin

[Roger T.]

So, why did they do away with the guards van?

Even North American passengers have a baggage car for luggage, bicycles
etc., etc.. What are Brits supposed to do with their luggage?


--
Cheers
Roger T.
See the GER at: -
http://www.islandnet.com/~rogertra/

[Neil Williams]

On 25 Sep, 07:30, "Roger T." > wrote:
> So, why did they do away with the guards van?

Because it was largely not a good use of space, as it was (and still
is, where present) largely empty.

> Even North American passengers have a baggage car for luggage, bicycles
> etc., etc.. *What are Brits supposed to do with their luggage?

Put it in overhead or coach-end racks. Most people prefer it this way
as they can keep their eye on it and don't have hassle with check-in
and retrieval.

The best solution I've seen for both this and bicycles is the fNW-
style rack. This is long enough for a bicycle underneath if
necessary, but otherwise fits tons of luggage. One per coach of every
mainline train, taking the space of 6 seats, would be perfect.

Neil

[elyob]

On 24 Sep, 10:04, wrote:
> http://www.atob.org.uk/Bike_Rail.html
>
> Just discovered this website which is a very comprehensive guide to
> carrying bikes on trains (and also ferries) with the various train
> operators. *I suspect a few on here may have seen it before, but its
> worth noting the site was updated this July with updated details on
> the new train franchises that came into effect this year.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/bikes-on-trains/

[Chris Tolley]

Roger T. wrote:

> So, why did they do away with the guards van?

Because most of the time they were empty.
--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p13857148.html
(43 154 at Reading, 13 Jul 1999)

[MIG]

On 25 Sep, 16:47, Chris Tolley > wrote:
> Roger T. wrote:
> > So, why did they do away with the guards van?
>
> Because most of the time they were empty.

But only if the train was sufficiently empty.

My memory of peak southeastern suburban services in slam-door days is
that the guards vans (a small one per two coaches) would tend to be
full of standing passengers, even though there was no corridor link to
the saloon, except when they'd meanly been locked.

So they could be used at least as effectively as the standback areas
in 376s etc.

[Chris Tolley]

MIG wrote:

> On 25 Sep, 16:47, Chris Tolley > wrote:
>> Roger T. wrote:
>>> So, why did they do away with the guards van?
>>
>> Because most of the time they were empty.
>
> But only if the train was sufficiently empty.
>
> My memory of peak southeastern suburban services in slam-door days is
> that the guards vans (a small one per two coaches) would tend to be
> full of standing passengers, even though there was no corridor link to
> the saloon, except when they'd meanly been locked.

,,, and most of the time, they were empty. ;-)

--
http://gallery120232.fotopic.net/p9632870.html
(33 103 at Southampton Central, 13 May 1985)

[A.C.P.Crawshaw]

Chris Tolley wrote:

> Because most of the time they were empty.

Sometimes they were not:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3286/2844228180_463d8ed67c_o.jpg

(North Wales Coast loco-hauled, 2000)

[Cheeky[_2_]]

On Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:32:42 +0100, Colin Blackburn
> wrote:

>Cheeky wrote:
>> On Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:02:14 +0100, Colin Blackburn
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> There is a brief article in the current Private Eye about this. To get
>>> in more seats they are removing the "cafe" from the train and replacing
>>> it with a trolley. They are then removing two bike spaces so that they
>>> have somewhere to store the trolley.
>>
>> Even worse: AIUI the current storage space at the standard class end
>> of the units is to be replaced with an enlarged luggage space
>> elsewhere on the units. If it's anything like the space on
>> TransPennine it will invariably be piled with luggage irrespective of
>> whether there's a cycle reservation or not.
>
>I think I know the bit you mean. Not long after Virgin started running
>the Voyagers they stripped out a row of seats, next to the end luggage
>racks at one end of some carriages, and put in a flat base. It was a
>useful space for huge bags. I assume that row of seats is being replaced.
>
>Colin

It's tied to the removal of the "shop" on Voyagers. The shop goes
(presumably to be replaced with seats and some luggage/bike space and
the bike space becomes a docking station for the catering trolly.

(all AIUI!)