Bikes on trains

[livpoksoc]

Yesterday morning I saw a scene that was ridiculous for 8:30am. I get a XC train from basingstoke to soton and most days I ride to the station. As with all XC trains, there is only room for 3 trains but usually if the luggage racks are empty you can get away with another 2 in there.

When we got to Winchester, 2 bikes got on making the cycle space full but another rider wanted to get on to which the following happened:

Female Guard: "no more bikes" (in a gleeful tone)
Rider tries to protest and asks nicely
Guard says no
Rider then puts his bike on via the door on the next carriage.
The guard doesn't even hesitate but grabs the bike and the two then have a tug of war with the bike, the rider demands she let go of his property, she just screamed at him to get off the train.
Rider & his bike are ejected, the guard then gets back on the train and starts to close the door. The rider tries to have a go at her for being bigheaded and she retorted with "so what, you're staying there!"


I then asked for her name as I felt she really did inflame the situation herself. She gave it gladly & when I pointed out the empty luggage racks, she explained that they had recently been audited and where getting told off for breaching the insurance that only covers events if 3 bikes are onboard.

Now I know this, I'm more inclined to write to XC because on rush hour trains & especially in this weather, there are a lot of bikes getting these trains and 3 spaces is inadequate. Other operators provide up to 10 spaces on busy routes.

The guards have been really hot on this now & I know it's not worth their jobs to allow another bike on, but am I being a bit too militant with raising this with XC or do I have a valid opinion?

 

[livpoksoc]

I'm also aware that you could argue that the luggage racks are for luggage, but the guards could obviously check tickets and if they could see empty racks, they could allow it but if anyone gets on with bags then the bikes would have to get off.

One guard said to me "what if i have a cruise liner waiting in southampton?" I pointed out that was 2 stops away & he just walked off

 

[Soltydog]

If you take the wheels off, it is longer a bicycle & can be considered as luggage I've seen a few bikes on Northern trains in the luggage rack minus the wheels

 

[livpoksoc]

If you take the wheels off, it is longer a bicycle & can be considered as luggage I've seen a few bikes on Northern trains in the luggage rack minus the wheels

Sadly one guard denied a girl this option last week.

I fully understand the guards POV now after she explained they'd been audited, but yes train companies need to allow more space for bikes

 

[Soltydog]

Sadly one guard denied a girl this option last week.

I fully understand the guards POV now after she explained they'd been audited, but yes train companies need to allow more space for bikes

The trouble with the privatised system is that each TOC has different policies on bicycles which doesnt help!
& some guards can be a little on the jobsworth side too

The cycle space on trains is clearly marked, both internally and externally. Space is allocated on a first come, first served basis.
We can only carry a maximum of two bikes per train but conductors have responsibility for the safety of their train and have the right to refuse entry if the train is busy.

taken from Northern cycle policy. Basically there is space allocated for 2 bikes per train, but if its busy the conductor can refuse all bikes & not carry any

 

[livpoksoc]

Oh i've read the charter on XC to see what's there. Sadly I think this is not an issue with the guards (although the one I described might need a recap on customer service) but more that there needs to be some discussion with the train operators and cyclists as clearly our needs as passengers haven't been met.

 

[Frood42]

Basically there is space allocated for 2 bikes per train, but if its busy the conductor can refuse all bikes & not carry any

2 spaces for bikes - FFS

 

[Frood42]

Guard needs a re-cap in staying calm in a difficult situation from what I have read, that was not the way to handle the situation.
I am not saying she should have let the cyclist on either, but you did make her sound like a right spiteful 'person'.

Train companies need to be taken to task and to provide adequate provision on their services.

With the lovely weather I would love to be able to jump on a train and take my bike somewhere nice, but the train companies make it such a hassle... No wonder people put their bikes on their cars and drive out to somewhere.

 

[Bill-H]

I used to be a train guard working Weymouth to Waterloo line for SWT the management is or was heavy handed and when the rolling stock changed and the capacity reduced from 20 plus bikes in Guard van. to 3 bikes per five coaches ! It caused lots of problems at stations in new forest with upwards of twenty bikes trying to get on.
Heaven forbid we used common sense and spread them out on train with the proviso of please move if necessary,
This eventually was what happened but guards have a very hard time from both passengers and management .

 

[Bromptonaut]

And then we have the nonesense on Southern and SouthEastern where folding bikes have to be carried from the station door.

 

[Bill-H]

And then we have the nonesense on Southern and SouthEastern where folding bikes have to be carried from the station door.

Proof that their is common sense and railway sense

 

[Leodis]

Proof that their is common sense and railway sense

I blame Thatcher

 

[Cyclopathic]

Nobody wants to loose their job, especially now. The problem is with the policy and there is no reason to give the gurd a hard time about it. They are getting it from both sides so we should really just do as they ask and then complain to the company about their policy. I know i'd end up getting impatient with the umpteenth person who thought that I should make an exception in their case.

 

[ufkacbln]

South West trains policy is that folding bikes must fit in a luggage space!

Part o the plan to remove all bikes except Bromptons hired at extortionate rates from SWT

 

[livpoksoc]

South West trains policy is that folding bikes must fit in a luggage space!

Part o the plan to remove all bikes except Bromptons hired at extortionate rates from SWT

Yeah i attended the brompton dock launch in southampton representing my company - considering we have hundreds of employees you'd have thought they were keen to talk to me...nah they just stopped talking to me mid sentence to speak to jack fm.

Boris bikes would have been a better option, only issue is that southampton isn't really big enough