Bikes on trains?

[mjr]

Had a very quick search and found GWR, TfWales, CTC, Transpennine Express, Gatwick Express & lner websites all have the same restriction.

Gatwick is Govia again I think, but anyway, most of those allow you to stay with the bike except some GWR and most LNER, and like I said, their websites are advice not rules.

Conditions of carriage 49d permits a TOC to refuse to carry a cycle if the unloading may cause delay, which would seem relevant. But all I could find was a 2012 copy. For all I know more recent editions may include an inalienable right to lock stuff to the train. But I doubt it.

No, it doesn't, but nor does it prohibit locking as long as you don't cause a delay unloading, which was the claim.

 

[Randombiker9]

When I’ve got a train before people I’ve seen are standing up with the bikes which aren’t locked even in some cases where there are cycle carriages.

 

[mudsticks]

If you are going long distance and your bike is in the sort of guards van where they have to let you out from the platform - then do intermittently check that staff are aware you need to be let out at your destination.

I had an 'hilarious' incident once where they neglected to let me and my bike out at Carlisle, because unbeknownst to me the train manager had changed half way up the line and the message wasn't passed on to the next shift ...

The next stop after Carlisle was Glasgow -

Oh how I chuckled !!

I've never worried too much about security of bike on train - nor had a problem - and i can see why they wouldn't want you locking it on - how often do bikes actually get nicked off trains??

 

[mudsticks]

You'd have had to wheelie it tho!

.. There's barely room for a normal width person down their aisles.. Let alone a bike!!

 

[Blue Hills]

@mudsticks I ended up locked in the "guards van" on a Virgin service when it terminated at Euston once. I eventually got the bike out through the passenger area. Looking back I missed the chance to ride it down the aisle through the seating area, which would have been fun.

Yes I've been left abandoned at Euston with a bike. Am always really pedantic these days about letting the train manager/captain/chief wizard know that I'm onboard with a bike, even if I've been assured on boarding that word has been passed on.

 

[Blue Hills]

I had an 'hilarious' incident once where they neglected to let me and my bike out at Carlisle, because unbeknownst to me the train manager had changed half way up the line and the message wasn't passed on to the next shift ...

The next stop after Carlisle was Glasgow -

Oh how I chuckled !!

You must tell us the rest of the tale - surely it impacted your travel/holiday plans somewhat? Did you have any accommodation booked near Carlisle? Any problems getting off at Glasgow with a ticket only as far as Carlisle?

 

[mudsticks]

i made a big ol fuss as soon as i realised what had happened - but they couldn't stop the train once it had restarted.

It was a slightly 'put on' fuss, as part of me thought it was like something out of a train - based sitcom - being transported out of the country against my will.

My plan had been to get off the train in the afternoon, and cycle three hours or so to where i was intending to camp near Penrith at the start of a Cumbrian / Yorkshire tour - this was October so i had fairly short time frame to do that before dark.

So anyway, I think they actually held the southbound train, for a few minutes at Glasgow - on account of the irate hostage /cyclist situation - then bundled me and my bike across the platform into that waiting train.

i was then 'First Classed' back down to Penrith foc - with free buns and all to soothe me - I got off at Penrith then only had half an hours cycle to arrive at my destination just before nightfall.

Saved me a few hours cycling in the end

 

[mjr]

Are you suggesting that if something isn't expressly forbidden in the (relatively brief) document, it is necessarily a right?

No, just that if it's not against any of the many pages of rules, it's not against the rules, and that train company websites don't matter because ticket buyers agree to the rules not the website content they've probably never seen.

I agree that the simplest way is to keep it in sight unlocked but that doesn't make all other behaviour against the rules.

 

[Randombiker9]

I’m still confused on this and this is also for my friends. The thing is I have quite a few friends in Wokingham and Bracknell. I live in Reading

The National rail enquiries say you can but the website confuses me.

Ps j was asking this as my friends want me to meet them at there’s and then go cycling. But as they live in Wokingham and Bracknell.

So are there any restrictions? Because when I asked through Facebook page I was just told the first off peak train is at 08:20am. Nothing about afternoons. So are their any restrictions?

My friends are also wondering. So it’s nkt just me asking I’m also asking for my friends

 

[mjr]

Ps j was asking this as my friends want me to meet them at there’s and then go cycling. But as they live in Wokingham and Bracknell.

So are there any restrictions? Because when I asked through Facebook page I was just told the first off peak train is at 08:20am. Nothing about afternoons. So are their any restrictions?

My friends are also wondering. So it’s nkt just me asking I’m also asking for my friends

So what are you asking? Bike restrictions Reading to/from Wokingham and Bracknell?

If so, that looks like SWR local services or GWR as an option to Wokingham.

SWR policy is https://www.southwesternrailway.com/travelling-with-us/travelling-with-a-bike and it looks like there may be a restriction on evening weekday peak trains but because it's based on time leaving Waterloo, it affects trains leaving Bracknell roughly an hour later 17:45-20:00. There's a morning weekday peak restriction which you seem to have noticed already.

GWR policy is https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/journey-information/on-board/cycles which helpfully has a tab for Wokingham-Reading. No morning restriction leaving Reading or evening restriction towards Reading as long as you only use GWR trains, which is useful.

Other than that, it looks like turn up and go! Not Belgian but not too bad.

 

[Randombiker9]

So what are you asking? Bike restrictions Reading to/from Wokingham and Bracknell?

If so, that looks like SWR local services or GWR as an option to Wokingham.

SWR policy is https://www.southwesternrailway.com/travelling-with-us/travelling-with-a-bike and it looks like there may be a restriction on evening weekday peak trains but because it's based on time leaving Waterloo, it affects trains leaving Bracknell roughly an hour later 17:45-20:00. There's a morning weekday peak restriction which you seem to have noticed already.

GWR policy is https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/journey-information/on-board/cycles which helpfully has a tab for Wokingham-Reading. No morning restriction leaving Reading or evening restriction towards Reading as long as you only use GWR trains, which is useful.

Other than that, it looks like turn up and go! Not Belgian but not too bad.

Thanks

 

[vickster]

Try asking at the station? After all it’s the barrier staff who will allow or stop you passing through. Ask to speak to the station (duty) manager

 

[icowden]

Actually the barrier staff are usually completely ambivalent at Waterloo. It's the Guard who ultimately decides whether you can have your bike on the train.
If a passenger complains to the Guard about your bike, then you are more likely to be de-trained. Of course you can get de-trained anyway if the Conductor is in a bad mood.

I travel with a folding bike (see picture - it's a big one) and was once de-trained from a packed service (which I had got onto when it was not packed, so I was neatly tucked away in a corner) by an irate guard who was chucking all bikes of the train, folders and non-folders. After pointing out the sign to him that said folding bikes were permitted, he then decided to throw me back ON to the train which was now rammed, thus making me the least popular commuter ever, and placing me right in the way of the doors. That was a fun journey (not).

 

[cisamcgu]

Just travel on Merseyrail - as many bikes as you want, on any train, all for free. Admittedly, this may limit your options for towns outside of Merseyside, but on the plus side, you will not accidentally bump into @Markymark

 

[Markymark]

Just travel on Merseyrail - as many bikes as you want, on any train, all for free. Admittedly, this may limit your options for towns outside of Merseyside, but on the plus side, you will not accidentally bump into @Markymark

I’m sure there’s an insult in there but sadly I don’t understand the post.

What is merseyrail, what’s a train, what is Merseyside and what’s a town?